Naruto Uzumaki,The Hybrid: The Return
by Da 4th Born
Summary: Continuation of the story that began in part 1. Naruto returns after 2 years of training to save his friend and face his enemies. Has he developed enough to utilize and control his powers to do just this? Or will he become as destructive as his nature?
1. Homecoming

Normal speech

_Thought_

**Kyuubi/Nine-tails/Other big voices**

_**InnerSakura **_

**A/N: I'm still working out the kinks in my storytelling but I'm sure I've gotten at least a little better at it. Anyway, this is the second part of my story. It's not very complicated or anything but taking a look at the first part wouldn't be such a bad idea... if it's still there... **

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form, but I do own the OCs in this story… :-b This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**

* * *

  
**

**Homecoming**

A pink haired girl approached the window of the Hokage office. She looked out into the bright world with a smile nearly as bright as the sun.

"You seem pretty cheerful, Sakura," the Hokage pointed out.

She turned flashing her teeth and perkily said, "Yes, Master… today's the day they're finally supposed to return! If it's ok with you, may I go to greet them?"

She nodded in agreement and Sakura was out the door. She left the Hokage's Tower and headed for the village gate. Along the way she ran into Konohamaru and his team with an exhausted Ebisu lagging behind. They greeted Sakura and asked what she was up to. She informed them that today was the day that Naruto was to return. Without so much as a word, the three preteens followed the pink haired kunoichi. They made it to the gate to see a stream of people entering and leaving, but there was no sign of Naruto. They took a seat on the bench to bide their time as more people walked by.

"Heh… It's been so long since we've been here. I wonder if anything's changed…"

"Yeah, it's been a little more than 2 years since we left. I can't wait to see everyone!" a female voice spoke.

A small shadowy figure darted through the village gate and the same voice shouted, "Hey, where do you think you're going…!?"

"I told you that you couldn't let him run free… Don't lose him!" a young male voice exclaimed.

The two youngsters chased after the shadow while Jiraiya happily watched.

Konohamaru noticed a few blurs speed by them and followed. The others on the other hand were so bored that they hadn't noticed. That is until a big guy with a horned forehead protector approached them.

"Master Jiraiya…!" Sakura said in a pleasantly surprised tone.

Seeing him, she knew that Naruto shouldn't be too far behind. She looked around him but didn't see Naruto or Yuuki. She was a little disappointed but tried to hide this fact when she asked for the two.

"Those two were so energetic that they took off as soon as they entered the village. You just missed them," he answered.

It was news to her but then the news that Konohamaru was gone reached her as well…

"Mmm… Where did they run off to?" she grunted.

"There you are! I told you that you could stay only if you behaved." Yuuki scolded.

"If you cause any trouble then we'll have to send you home," Naruto mentioned.

Konohamaru ran around the corner just in time to see Yuuki grabbing something into her arms and asked what it was. She turned to show the shadowy figure to him and he was amazed at the sight of it…

"So… how did you enjoy your travels Master Jiraiya?" she stalled, trying to make small talk.

"Oh… it was ok. Some things went right and some things went wrong. We just did the best we could at times, but I'd say that things went well enough. Both Naruto and Yuuki have grown since we first left the village…"

"That's good to hear."

Sakura was starting to get a little impatient now. No disrespect to Jiraiya, but she was anxious to see her old teammate. Her wish was granted as she felt a sensation and heard Jiraiya say that they were back. He pointed over her shoulder and she turned to see two shadowy figures on the roof. With the sunlight beaming in her face, she couldn't get a good look, but she could make out some things.

"Is that…?"

"It's Naruto!!" Konohamaru confirmed as he returned.

The others watched as the bigger figure flashed his teeth. There was a puff of smoke as something disappeared and the two figures jumped from the rooftops. They landed and made their way over to the others.

"Long time no see, Sakura," Naruto greeted.

"Naruto… is that really you?" she asked while taking it all in.

Naruto was now much taller than she was, about 5'5". That was new as was Naruto's appearance. He wore a blue hooded, short sleeved shirt zipped to his collarbone with white stripes at the end of the sleeves. Over it he wore a white hooded, sleeveless v-neck vest. Designs on this vest included blue markings that traced the center from bottom to top, the same over the shoulders, and a blue version of the usual swirl on his back. His blue waist sash draped past the knees of his long, baggy white shorts. He had the usual ninja sandals that were the same blue color of his gloves. Also, his once blonde hair was now white with a long blue headband.

**A/N: He's actually shorter, but, eh. I had the intention of making his clothes look similar to Hayate's from Dead or Alive, more or less. **

Even with all the changes, she could tell that he had gotten much stronger since they last saw each other. As he brightly smiled, Sakura remembered the old days and the road it led them down. She began to wonder what he was thinking seeing her as well…

"So, Naruto… how do I look? Am I more womanly now?" she cutely flirted.

Naruto looked her up and down and analyzed her appearance. She must've been somewhere between 5'2" and 5'3". He noticed that her clothes were different than he remembered. She still had her short pink her but had a red headband. She wore a sleeveless, white karate top with a red ring on her back. She also had red tights with a white pouch bag acting as a skirt. Finally there were her knee high boots.

Naruto thought she looked nice, and to her question said, "You look fine. You haven't changed much at all."

Although he thought it was a compliment, it just seemed to upset Sakura. She had put years into her current appearance and she developed as best she could. She gave him a sour look as the others just laughed. A bit embarrassed, Sakura's vision panned over to one of those laughing. She quickly took notice of the cute red head and figured that it must be Yuuki.

First thing she noticed was her flowing crimson red hair. It was long and feathered as it reached down to the center of her back. It seemed to be nicely messed as several strands jutted from the main body. She was also surprised that she was a couple of inches taller than herself. For clothes, if you could call them that, she wore a halfshirt as red as her hair and short blue tights with a red belt hitched with a weapon holster. Her legs weren't very exposed though as she wore blue thigh-high boots that shortly passed her knees. Sakura was shocked to see how cute she had grown to be.

Naruto was ecstatic. He couldn't seem to stop smiling. He was beginning to get homesick on his travels but today was shaping up to be a great day.

"I missed this place! It's changed a little but it's still home!"

"Yo, you've grown a lot, haven't you, Naruto?" a familiar voice said.

Naruto looked over and surely enough, it was good old Kakashi. Same old hair, same old clothes, same old same old…

"Ah, Kakashi sensei…! You haven't changed a bit. I'm not that surprised but I am surprised to see granny's old ugly mug on the Hokage mountain. Ha ha…"

He reached in his back pocket and pulled out a book and tossed it to his sensei. He said that it was the "pervy sage's" new book. It was signed and to be given especially to him. Kakashi was astonished to receive such a great present, the latest book in the "Makeout Paradise" series. As soon as it was in his hands, he opened it and began reading. He was so involved in his reading that he didn't notice Konohamaru's little "exhibition".

In true Naruto fashion, Konohamaru surprised the group and some of the passerbys with a terrific "Sexy Jutsu".

"WOW!! THIS KID'S GOT A GREAT TALENT!!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "How would you like to become my pupil?!"

Sakura just looked at him in disbelief. He wanted him to become his pupil just like that over a useless technique like that? She was about to scold Konohamaru for his lewd behavior but Naruto beat her to it…

"Hehehe… Konohamaru, I'm sorry but I'm no longer a kid. I won't be using that weak jutsu and neither should you…"

Sakura was impressed. He definitely looked more mature but she didn't think that he had actually become it. Though happy that she wouldn't have to put up with his childishness any longer, she was a little sad that it wouldn't be like old times. Things were changing and that's just the way it had to be.

With animated enthusiasm, Naruto went on to say, "THAT OLD THING IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THE NEW JUTSU WE'VE COME UP WITH!! LET'S GO YUU!! WITNESS OUR _NEW _**'GRAND'** PERVERTED NINJUTSU!!!"

"That's great! A new jutsu… A Grand Pervert--," Sakura stopped herself as she realized what had been said. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING, YOU IDIOT!!?" she roared as she popped Naruto in the face.

He first bounced off the ground before crashing into a row of barrels. As she grinded her foot into his body, she told him that he should be ashamed of himself. She then turned to look at the accomplice.

"Please don't hurt me big sister Sakura," Yuuki pleaded as she cowered in place. "It was all big brother's idea," she blamed while pointing at Naruto who's jaw dropped in disbelief.

Seeing and hearing this, she felt like a bit of a monster. She assured Yuuki that no harm would come to her because she just had a bad influence…

"_That liar…! She had put just as much into developing that jutsu as I did," _Naruto thought but didn't say. "What about me? I was negatively influenced too. I was brought up around nothing but perverts—," Naruto negotiated but was silenced by a series of stomps from a still irritated Sakura.

Everyone was a bit frightened as she was relentless. She wouldn't stop until he apologized for ruining the atmosphere and respect she had just had for him in such a short time after they were reunited. Unfortunately, if she kept this up, he would end up unconscious and unable to speak at all if went too far. Kakashi tried to neutralize the situation by pointing out that she was scaring everyone around her. Embarrassed, she stopped and began apologizing to those around, even going as far as grabbing Naruto's limp frame and forcing him to bow and do the same. While this went on, Jiraiya noted that it looked like they had another Tsunade on their hands.

With the situation diffused, the group made their way to the Hokage Tower. Tsunade wanted to see them as soon as possible to gauge Naruto's growth over the past two years…

"As promised, I'll leave Naruto in your care. I fear the Akatsuki's been growing impatient… They may make an attempt on Naruto soon. I'll be heading out soon to gather some information," Jiraiya whispered to Kakashi.

While walking to the tower, Sakura couldn't help but pick up on a lot of stares from guys, and some women as well or them showing signs of disgust. She didn't quite understand as she never seemed to get this kind of attention. It must have been someone else. She looked around and finally got it. Apparently Yuuki had developed into a fine young woman and couldn't help but show it. Instead of walking normally, she spiritedly bounced with each step. Even in her tight top, her breasts joined in. Sakura couldn't help but feel a little envious at their size. They weren't as big as others she'd seen, but they made hers seem nonexistent. For the rest of the way she just pouted to herself. Naruto noticed her expression and raised an eyebrow in confusion. He thought of asking her what the problem was but figured that she must still be upset about before.

As they neared the Hokage's office, they could hear yelling. The closer they drew, the louder it got. A little uneasy, Sakura knocked on the door. The yelling quieted to mumblings as the door was opened by Shizune. There in front of the desk were a surprised Hokage and…

"Hey, Shizune… Granny Tsunade… Grandma Hitomi," Naruto greeted.

"Grandma Hitomi…!" Yuuki walked over and gave her a big hug.

"It sounded like you ladies were really going at it," Jiraiya pointed out. "Ladies, ladies… you don't have to fight over me. There's plenty of the J-man to go around," he chuckled confidently.

"WHO WOULD FIGHT OVER YOU!!!?" the two hot-blooded grannies put him in his place.

Jiraiya drearily slumped as he was doubly rejected. Ignoring this overreaction, Naruto reached into his bag saying that he had something for the 5th Hokage, Tsunade. He pulled out a pouch that looked like it had a lot of something in it. He handed it to her and her eyes lit up at what was inside.

"This is for me? Where did you get all this money Naruto?" she inquired while checking if it was real.

"I was lucky enough to win it and, though tough," he said while peering at Jiraiya. "I saved it until now. I thought that I should bring you something back, but I'm not old enough to buy alcohol. I also figured it would be helpful since I thought that you'd have the village in huge debt by now."

"Na-Naruto…!" Sakura frightfully tried to scold.

"Naruto… I should ground you into dust for that, but I think I'll let it slide just this once since you brought your granny such a thoughtful gift," she said affectionately while suffocating him in her bosom.

Once released, he apologized for not bringing Sakura, Shizune, and Hitomi anything. He hadn't even expected Hitomi to be in the Leaf Village.

"What are you doing here Grandma?" Yuuki asked.

"What, a grandmother can't come to visit her grandchildren…?" she questioned while hugging Naruto and Yuuki.

"Grandchildren…? But who-…? Huh?" Sakura said dumbfounded.

"Hitomi…!!" Tsunade tried to stop her before she said too much.

"It's perfectly alright… We've already gone over the fact that I'm their grandmother. They passed through the Sky Village a short while ago…"

A little worried, Tsunade asked them how much they knew…

"Grandpa slipped up and told us that we're twins after we noticed how similar we looked in a reflection," Yuuki answered.

"He didn't let it slip out!! He told us because you were always after me! It didn't even help!" Naruto exclaimed.

"That's because you stole my heart from the moment I laid my eyes on you," Yuuki flirted as she moved closer.

Naruto just rolled his eyes as Jiraiya finished explaining, "After that, I told them who their grandfather and grandmother were. We paid her a visit and I'm still sore for the beating she gave me out of nowhere. The only thing I left out was who exactly their parents were. We agreed that one day they'd learn it but that they should just leave it for the time being."

**A/N: The beating was a result of how Jiraiya raised Yuuki to be a little pervert back in part 1. **

"_Twins?" _thought Sakura.

"I guess that's fine. For now, let's leave it at that for now. We have more important matters at hand," Tsunade pointed out. "Naruto…! Sorry you won't have much time to relax, but I want to survey your current abilities. From there I'll know what to do with you."

"It'll be different than before. We'll no longer be teacher a pupils. As of today, we're equal comrades and shinobi of the Leaf," Kakashi declared. "But before it's official… I'm going to administer a little test," he said while pulling out a couple of bells.

Naruto and Sakura immediately knew exactly what he had in mind. Naruto was getting a little excited. Once again he would get the chance to test himself against Kakashi… oh and Sakura would be there too. He would give the two time to get their things together and meet him in the usual place. He left through the window and the others headed for the door. As they opened it, there stood Shikamaru and Temari. They greeted each other and after Shikamaru and Temari's business with the Hokage, they joined the little group, not by choice but Naruto wanted to catch up.

Jiraiya and Hitomi left the kids to their own devices while she "talked" with him in private(**yelling at him again**). While walking around aimlessly, Shikamaru and Temari noticed how Yuuki had wrapped herself around Naruto's arm and didn't seem to be letting go anytime soon.

"Hey, Naruto… did something happen between the two of you while you were away?"

The hair on the back of her head and her ears perked up as Sakura awaited Naruto's reply…

"No, she's my sister Shikamaru."

"Yeah I know. She never let anyone forget it. But it's not like she's your real sister…"

"No, she's my sister. We're twins."

"Seriously?" Shikamaru and Temari asked in disbelief.

Naruto and Yuuki nodded to confirm this. It seemed that they accepted this after closer observation, but now Naruto had a question for them, "Sooo… are you two on a date or something?"

Shikamaru simply denied this and Temari scoffed at it but for a brief moment, Yuuki saw her blush. They explained that with the upcoming Chunin Exams, the two of them had to take care of the preparations.

"The Chunin Exams, huh?"

"It brings back memories, right?"

"The Chunin Exams…? I never took that," Yuuki stated.

"Then that would make you the only one in our age group that hasn't. Everyone else has already been promoted," Shikamaru mentioned. "Neji, that Kankuro guy, and this person here have all become Jounin."

"Re-Really…? The-… then what about Gaara? " Naruto inquired.

"He's the current Kazekage," Temari told him.

Naruto was a little jealous that Gaara had already become the Kage of his village in such a short time, but he was truly happy about it. This meant that the village had finally accepted him as their own. This just made Naruto more determined to achieve the same in his village.

After a little catching up, Temari and Shikamaru went on their way. Soon after, Sakura left to get things she would need and pick up something from her home…

_Later… _

Sakura arrived at the training grounds but saw no sign of anyone. Since she was alone, she decided to take a look around for anyway to keep the fight in her side's favor. She walked around a tree when she was startled by someone falling right in front of her face…

"Aaaaaaaahhhh…!!" she screamed until she recognized the face that was in hers. "Naruto…! You shouldn't scare people like that," she demanded.

"But big sis, I'm not my big brother… It's Yuuki."

Her hair flowed as she dropped from the branch, proving her point. Sakura was embarrassed that she mistook her. She knew they were twins but she just couldn't see it. Could it be that she just had Naruto on the brain?

"Heh… It's no surprise when people mistake us for each other when they don't get a good look," Naruto was sitting up in the tree.

"We-Well I guess and I get the whole twins thing, but I just don't see it."

Naruto pondered of a way to clear this up. A lightbulb went off as he noticed Yuuki twirling her hair. He stood next to her and told her to smile…

"Watch closely Sakura," he chuckled.

He changed his hair color to match Yuuki's as the both cracked a big smile. Sakura was astonished at the resemblance. How could she not have seen it before?

"You're in a good mood Naruto… You must be pretty confident to use that much chakra before we begin."

They weren't surprised to find Kakashi appearing out of nowhere after an unexpected comment. "I assume that you've properly prepared and are ready to begin… The rules are the same as before. You have until sunrise to get them. The last time you had the help of another…"

"Last time there were three of us," Naruto gloomily stated.

"Last time… Sasuke was with us," Sakura said, depressed.

As depression took over, with a hint of anger, Kakashi wished he hadn't brought it up. The loud closing of his book snapped them out of their funk. It was time to begin. Naruto tightened his headband and noticed that both he and Sakura were adjusting their gloves. He also noticed a rather large double-headed axe on her back.

"So when did you start using that, Sakura?" Naruto pointed at the weapon on her back.

"Oh, this…? My mother insisted on me getting used to a weapon like her. She uses a sword but I grew to like this axe. Thanks to her and my master's training, I feel as though I can finally be useful in battle," she explained.

Naruto was pleasantly surprised by Sakura's new found self-esteem. He was glad that she now had some belief in herself.

"That's great to hear big sis, but you'll just be in the way. I'm sure my brother can handle it on his own," Yuuki commented.

"Nah, this is all about teamwork. We'll definitely have to work together to succeed."

"I guess big brother… It'll definitely be interesting to watch," she returned.

As they took their positions, Kakashi lifted his headband, revealing his sharingan. Last time he was thwarted from using it at all. This time, he would have to be more serious as well.

As Kakashi slowly took a step back, the bells jingled. Naruto reacted by tossing a handful of shuriken which Kakashi ducked and retaliated in like. Kakashi's phased right through Naruto as if…

"Shadow Star…!" Kakashi exclaimed.

Luckily he was very experienced with his sharingan. He managed to follow Naruto's movements and jumped into the air. Kakashi rained down kunai while over him. He watched as Naruto was belted with this shower, but…

"When did he…?" Kakashi managed to blurt before receiving a dropkick from another Naruto.

The one below dispersed as Kakashi was sent hurtling towards Sakura. She stood her ground and, with devastating power, laid into Kakashi's flying frame. Or this would be the case had he not used a "Substitution" jutsu at the last second. Instead, Sakura smashed a log and volleyed it back at Naruto…

It traveled at break-neck speed and, still in the air, Naruto was now in a vulnerable position. He created a clone which yanked him out of harm's way.

"I-I'm sorry Naruto…!" she apologized. _"Kakashi used that jutsu with perfect timing. Because of that, I nearly injured my own partner. Fortunately, Naruto was quick and clever enough to avoid taking any serious damage even in such a vulnerable situation. He's as impressive as always." _

Naruto landed but from the ground behind him, Kakashi sprang up. He placed a kunai to his back and talked as if it was all over. This was disproved as another Naruto stuck a kunai to his back in a similar fashion.

"_He's gotten very good with his usage of shadow clones," _Kakashi noted.

He tried to quickly turn on the Naruto behind him and run but was wrapped and lifted off the ground. He struggled as he had the life squeezed out of him. After he exploded into smoke, he was revealed to be a shadow clone as well.

Sakura had no time to take in Naruto's new image as he pointed out that Kakashi was underground. He and his clone jumped into the air to keep from being easy targets. With a windup, Sakura smashed her fist into the ground and split it open. As earth shattered and spread, everyone was amazed.

"Wow…!" Yuuki's eyes widened with amazement as she looked on.

"_Wha-… What insane power! The 5__th__ didn't just train her in medical ninjutsu," _Kakashi thought. _"She's always been good when it came to chakra control and the 5__th__ must've taught her to build up the maximum amount of chakra and release it at the right time. Medical ninjutsu plus amazing strength and her talent for genjutsu… She may become an even better ninja than the 5__th__." _

_The hell…!?" _thought Naruto. _"Earlier when she hit me, she could've knocked my head off my shoulders! Maybe I shouldn't joke around in front of her anymore…" _

Before they could take advantage of his state of shock, Kakashi rapidly cycled through seals and blasted fire at his opponents. The two dodged and noticed that Kakashi was making a run for it. Sakura grabbed her large axe from her back and hurled it at him. Kakashi ducked into a grove of trees for safety which proved effective. The first couple pairs of trees were cleanly chopped through but the axe lodged itself halfway into a third.

The two headed into the grove to retrieve Sakura's axe. As they did, there seemed to be no clear sign of Kakashi.

"Hm… This is turning out to be pretty tough. I may have to go all out," Naruto considered while swishing his long tail.

Sakura thought about asking Naruto about it but decided now wasn't the time. Instead, she suggested that they find a way to disable their sensei's use of seals and ninjutsu…

"Yeah… Kakashi sensei is pretty tough. He's as good at taijutsu as Bushy-brow, he's just as smart as Shikamaru, and he's even better with the sharingan than Sasuke… What's more, he most likely knows what to expect of us now. Even if I can find him no matter where he hides, if we don't have a good plan and make mistakes, he'll just capitalize on them and stall all night."

"Yeah, but even Kakashi sensei must have a weakness," Sakura gathered.

They thought it over and Naruto realized just what that weakness was. With a devilish grin, he informed Sakura of his plan. As the moon rose high into the sky, the two set off to implement it…

Kakashi was keeping himself hidden. He knew it was pointless to hide, but he hoped that they would make the mistake of splitting up and Sakura being the one to find him first.

"_Although I'm proud of their growth, it's very much a hassle. As they are, both could overpower me, and I wouldn't dare want to take on Naruto if he got serious. If it weren't for Jiraiya's warning, I might've been overtaken in the very beginning." _

Kakashi was rattled from his thoughts as a hail of weapons flew at him. He jumped from his hiding place and took a defensive stance. He was ready for both to burst from the shadows but Naruto was the only one. He calmly stood before Kakashi with a devilish grin on his face and a deadly look in his eyes. The look he gave him gave Kakashi the impression that Naruto had some evil intentions in mind…

"Shit…!" he cried as Naruto made a move.

He readied his kunai and focused completely on Naruto. He was shocked that instead of coming at him, Naruto began talking…

"The last joke in 'Makeout Paradise'… the truth is that the main character…!"

Kakashi realized that Naruto was about to spoil the new book he had just started reading. He didn't want the dramatics of the book to be revealed before he got to them so he covered his ears. He kept his eyes on Naruto but was horrified that, due to the sharingan, he could read his lips as well. Without thinking, he closed his eyelids as tight as he could. The next thing he felt was a couple of pokes and taps as if trying to get his attention. He opened his eyes and uncovered his ears to see Sakura behind him with a bell and Naruto in front with the other.

Kakashi was in awe. Of all the ways he thought he would be confronted, he never contemplated one so… scary. He was relieved that nothing of his book was spoiled… and that his former students proved their worth. With that, he congratulated them. With this out of the way, they could take the rest of the night to relax.

"That was a pretty nice plan, you two," Kakashi complimented them as they walked through the town.

"It was a pretty lame way to win if you ask me," Yuuki countered. "I expected it to be so much more exciting, but I guess a win is a win."

Irritated, Naruto told her, "You know, you shouldn't be so critical of other people when you haven't even done anything."

"Then how about we change that," Kakashi interjected. "The 5th had been thinking of a fourth member for our team. Who better than Naruto's sister. They've spent the last two years together so they probably match up pretty well."

"Really…!?" the three youngsters questioned.

Kakashi nodded before telling them that all he had to do was some paperwork. He then left them with various expressions. The girls looked fairly happy with this information while Naruto looked a bit uneasy.

"Great…! Another girl on the team! Now I won't have to be subjected to nothing but guy stuff. We can have 'girl talk' and things like that while on a mission," Sakura proclaimed.

"I know…! Isn't this great big brother…!?"

Naruto didn't look as excited about this as the girls. He soon expressed his thoughts, "I don't think this is such a good idea. Yuu… I think it'd be better if you stayed in the village. It's safer that way."

"No!" she refused. "I'm not gonna just stay in the village like a good little girl… not this time! After all we've been through, I'm sure you're worried about me, I feel the same about you, but there's no way I'll just sit around constantly worrying about you while you're far away!" Yuuki seriously declared.

"But--,"

"Besides, as long as I'm by your side, I know I'll be safe," she added.

Naruto looked into her big, sparkling blue eyes as he considered her request. He agreed to allow it as he just couldn't seem to say no to her. She bounced around with joy. Sakura was happy to see them work things out, but she couldn't help but be a little embarrassed as more attention was averted to them the more Yuuki jumped. She finally stopped as her stomach rumbled loud enough for everyone around to hear. She announced that she would go fill her belly and left with a gaggle of guys following who offered to pay for her. Her intention, though she wouldn't admit it, was to give Naruto and Sakura time alone to "catch up".

Sakura tried to object to this but it was too late. She had been drowned out by the argues of Yuuki's wannabe suitors. She was even more shocked that Naruto didn't say a thing about this. Instead, he just let it go and asked Sakura if she wanted to grab something to eat as well.

"How can you just be ok with something like this? You're sister just went off with a bunch of strangers!"

"There's nothing to worry about. Yuuki can take care of herself… besides, with her gone this means…"

"It's just the two of us," Sakura finished. "So you're after a date then," she concluded.

She had perfectly read his mind. He was sure she knew the answer he wanted, but would she give it to him? Naruto tried to remain calm and keep his cool. He found this hard to do as he nervously began to sweat while waiting for her answer…

"Sure," she replied.

Naruto couldn't believe what he had heard. Unsure, he asked her if he had heard her correctly…

"I said ok… It' s just one date, so it isn't really that big of a deal," she expressed while sporting a slight blush.

Naruto was ecstatic. After years of trying, he was finally going to have his first date with Sakura. His long tail was now out of his control as it wagged happily. It came to an abrupt stop as Sakura added, "I'm alright with it as long as it's your treat…"

He quickly checked his froggy wallet and, to his dismay and disappointment, he barely had enough to buy one bowl of ramen. He looked up from his with a depressed expression. Immediately, Sakura knew what it was that had him so down. With him unable to hold up his end of the bargain, Sakura walked away with a dissatisfied "bye".

Naruto's jaw dropped as he wasn't expecting this. He missed his chance all because of a little mistake like forgetting to keep a little money he had given away for himself. What a horrible turn of events. His hunger grabbing his attention, Naruto decided to eat something alone. Hoping that a bowl, or so, of ramen would cheer him, Naruto made his way to Ichiraku's. There, he met a few familiar faces…

"Iruka sensei…?"

"Ah, Naruto… long time no see," he greeted. "My, you've grown. I'm pretty sure your appetite's done the same, am I right?" Iruka remarked.

Naruto sheepishly chuckled as he was greeted by his former sensei and the old man of the ramen bar and his daughter as well. Even though he had little money, he was in luck tonight as the owner would let him eat as much as he wanted for free. He sat down and joined Iruka as the two caught up. Naruto told him a little bit about his tough training session over the past two years and his aspirations for the future. They talked into the wee night before parting ways, finding his sister, and turning in for the night…

_The next morning… _

Naruto shuffled in bed as the morning sunlight gently touched his face. He scrunched his face and gradually opened his eyes. He excitedly kicked off the covers and hopped out of bed. He did a bit of stretching but noticed that he was snagged by something. He looked back and saw that Yuuki was cutely wrapped up in his tail. He didn't want to wake her but they were kind of pressed for time. In one swift motion, he yanked his tail from around her and spun her off the bed. She crashed to the ground and awoke with a startle…

Sakura was in the middle of errands for the Hokage. She figured that it was better to be productive while she waited for her team to show up.

"Sakura, why don't you take it easy for the time being. I'll have Hinata finish things when she returns," Tsunade authorized.

Since she was given some time off, Sakura decided to meet up with her team. She left the office and made her way to Naruto's room to give him a little wake-up call and apologize for last night. As soon as she got to the door, she heard a thud from inside…

"Naruto… Yuuki…!" she yelled while barging in.

"Sorry about the noise," he apologized. "We kind of overslept and I upset Yuu," he said while sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"What did you do to this poor girl?" Sakura said while coddling Yuuki.

"It was _so _cruel big sis… I was peacefully sleeping when big brother rolled me out of bed and onto the floor where I hit my head," she exaggeratedly cried.

She would pay for taking things too far. Using his long tail, Naruto wrapped hers with his and hung her by it…

"I think you were dropped on your head a _loong _time ago," he commented.

"Naruto, you shouldn't mistreat your sister like that," Sakura said.

"It's punishment. It's the only way she'll learn," he sternly put. "Besides, I think she does these kinds of things just to get me to react this way," he added.

"What way of thinking is that…!!?" she yelled as she punched him through the wall. "There's no way this sweet girl would intentionally do something like that…"

"Actually…" Yuuki piped up. "I tend to do it on a regular basis. What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment," she cutely winked.

A good bonk on the head quieted her and caused real tears to fall this time…

"Ow, big sis…!" Yuuki wailed.

"See…!!" Naruto pointed out with his index fingers and the tip of his tail alike.

"Whatever," Sakura grumbled as she examined his tail from the corner of her eye. "Just get dressed already. We're supposed to go on our first mission today," she mentioned while leaving the room.

They got dressed and, after some sounds of a scuffle that stopped once they noticed Sakura glaring through the hole in the wall, the two exited the room. This time, Naruto was wearing a black version of his white outfit with much of the designs matching his white hair. Yuuki was wearing the same type of outfit from the other day with a few additions. These included red gloves that were almost identical to Naruto's but she had red gauntlets that reached up to her elbows with blue fiery-like designs. She also had similar shin guards that reached from the top of her feet to her knees. They were finally ready and with the appearance of their team leader, they marched to the Hokage's office. They lined up and prepared to learn of their first mission since reuniting…

"Team Kakashi… there are a number of missions that have compiled so far. Since it's the first since your team's formation, maybe we should start out with something easy…"

"No way!" Naruto interrupted with Yuuki motioning with a big "X" with her arms to make the point. "We aren't little kids anymore! After all the things we've been through these past years, we don't need to be treated like that!" he proclaimed.

"But Naruto…" she tried reasoning with him but he wasn't hearing it. "Fine… I'll probably be scolded for this, but since you're so adamant about it…"

"_Obnoxious is more like it," _Sakura bitterly thought.

After looking through the reports, Tsunade finally decided on one. Receiving their marching orders, Team Kakashi gathered outside…

"So…. we're supposed to spend the mission babysitting some old guy," Yuuki recapped.

"No, we're to be bodyguards for an old friend of my master. There's been a few attempts on his life and he would like for us to get to the bottom of it. Our mission is to protect him, find out who it is that's targeting him, and, if possible, eliminate this problem," Sakura thoroughly explained.

"The toughest thing about this mission should be finding the culprit. That is, unless we're opposed by other shinobi," Kakashi added.

"This is pretty nostalgic. It reminds me of the first big mission we had as genin," Naruto mentioned.

After a moment of silence, the group quickly moved out. They would be meeting their client at a nearby village. He had a meeting to attend there later in the day and hoped that his trouble would be solved before then…

Tsunade was sitting at her desk finishing up some paperwork. Shizune had just left and she was finally all alone. She reached into one of her desk drawers and pulled out a big bottle of sake. She was about to take a big swig when she heard a knock on the door…

Fearing that she would be scolded by Shizune, like usual, Tsunade quickly dropped the bottle. It shattered and sake splashed everywhere behind the desk. Tsunade was both shocked and a little relieved to see that it was only Hinata rolling in ready to defend her master…

"Is everything alright?" she worriedly asked.

"There's nothing to worry about Hinata. You just surprised me and I dropped my sak-… er, uh…"

Puzzled, Hinata questioned, "You… dropped Sakura…?"

That's what she had heard from her master, but she couldn't make sense of it.

"I dropped something," the Hokage corrected.

"I'm sorry… It seems that I often cause you to drop or break something. I must be nothing but bad luck to you… I'll go get a broom," Hinata said exiting the office.

"Get a mop as well!!" Tsunade shouted as she departed.

She felt a little bad about letting Hinata think she was the cause of the chaos that went on in her office. She recalled the time she mistook Hinata for Shizune and threw her sake bottle out the window to avoid being caught. She told her that by being suddenly surprised, she accidentally threw her stapler through it. Later in the day, they were seeing to patients when one of them explained that they were walking around the Hokage Tower when something fell on their head and left them concussed. Hinata repeatedly apologized and did all she could to make the patient's hospital life as easy as possible. Tsunade was such a bad person. But that's just the way she was when she hadn't had a drink every now and again.

The doorknob rattled and, thinking it was Hinata, she warmly welcomed her back. She was devastated to see that she was mistaken again. Instead of the sweet and understanding Hinata, Shizune walked through the door and freaked out at the sight liquid oozing from behind the Tsunade's desk. All it took was one glance and she knew exactly what it was…

"Lady Tsunade…!! You don't have time for a drink when you have work to do!!" Shizune screeched as Hinata walked in behind her. "And what's worse is that you've got this poor girl thinking she's responsible for the problem again! You should tell her the truth right away so that she doesn't go through life thinking she's nothing but bad luck!"

Hinata was confused. Sure she was beginning to feel like a jinx, but she had no idea of what Shizune was yelling at their master about…

"Hi-… Hinata…" Tsunade began. "There's something I think you need to know…… Naruto's come back and he's a lot more handsome than before," she stalled and diverted.

Shizune fell to the ground as she couldn't believe her master's audacity. Surely she was saying anything to dance around admitting the truth. She looked up to see Hinata holding herself as if she was trying to hold something in…

After a moment of gathering thoughts, Hinata spoke, "I… I've had the feeling that he'd been back… I… I wanted to greet him, but… after all these years… I still couldn't. I've done everything I could think of to avoid seeing him because… I'm not sure what to say."

A few tears began to fall. Shizune didn't know what to say, but Tsunade on the other hand…

"Just say hi and I'm sure things will just flow," she warmly advised.

A smile appeared on her face as she wiped away her tears. As she cleaned up Tsunade's mess, it dawned on Shizune why Hinata would react in such a way. She didn't want to ruin things but decided to silently root for her.

_Elsewhere… _

Shikamaru and Temari decided to grab a bite to eat. They entered a small diner and noticed a couple of familiar looking hairstyles from behind. The two were getting pretty close to one another in their little booth. Shikamaru also noticed that he and Temari weren't the only ones that were looking. In a different booth sat a kunoichi dressed in purple, Ino, and his best buddy, Chouji, watching on intently. The two approached the nosy couple and asked what they were up to…

"Shhh…" Ino shushed. "Asuma sensei and Kurenai sensei are over there cuddling, and if we time it just right, they won't be able to deny their relationship anymore."

Seeing a chance, Ino grabbed Shikamaru and Temari and shoved them into the seats in front of the senseis. She sat Chouji right beside the others while she cut off Asuma and Kurenai's escape. With six people squeezed into one booth, Ino made her point clear…

"Now there's no way you can deny your relationship now. We watched as you snuggled in this booth and we're gonna keep you here until we get a confession."

"With the three of us together, it's almost like we're on a triple date," Chouji pointed out.

"As if…!" Ino snapped. "No offense Chouji, but you aren't my type. Also, we're friends and nothing more."

"C-Come on Ino, you're being unreasonable," Kurenai said.

"Unreasonable, eh? Then how's this…? If you won't admit to going out, then I'll have Chouji eat as much as he wants and have you pay for it," she said with a dark smile and aura.

Returning from their mission, Team Kakashi, and Jiraiya, made their way into and through the village. Yuuki seemed to be in high spirits since she couldn't seem to stop laughing…

"It isn't funny Yuuki," Sakura groaned.

Barely able to breathe, Yuuki said, "Of… Hahahaha…! Of… of course it is," she laughed. "He's about to become a rich man. Maybe you should have taken him up on his offer…"

Sakura dealt a quick punch to the dome as punishment…

"Ow…! Sis… what was that for!?"

With a blush on her face, Sakura angrily grumbled, "As if I would get involved with a guy that old. And what's worse is how big a pervert he was."

"What kind of mission was that…?" Naruto complained. There was nothing difficult about it at all. All we had to do was beat up a few hundred goons, and for what…!? An old guy and his brother feuding over who should be paid for coming up with an elixir so they could continue with _'adult things'_."

"But you know…" Yuuki mumbled while looking out the corner of her eye.

Both she and Naruto had the same thing in mind while glancing at Jiraiya…

"What were _you _doing there, grandpa?" they asked.

"Me…? I-I-I…" he stuttered trying to come up with something. "I sensed your chakra and decided to see what you were up to," he stressed.

Not believing him, the twins figured, _"He wanted a sample of the elixir." _

While this was going on, Kakashi noticed a bird fly over head. He didn't say anything about the fact that it was carrying a note, but just that they should report to the Hokage's office to file their report. They, along with Jiraiya, went to the tower and Naruto opened the door with his tail. Seeing this, Sakura had to ask about it…

"Naruto… I've been meaning to ask you… what's the deal with your tail? It's nothing how I remember."

Sakura recalled that before he left for his training, he had a brown tail, not too short, not too long, that resembled that of a monkey's. But now, it was all white with a black tip. If fully stretched out, it was as long as his body.

Before Naruto could answer, Jiraiya responded, "It's due to his hard work over these past years."

"Then… why isn't Yuuki's tail like that? Is yours…?" she inquired.

**(*)**"That's a good question," Jiraiya said while rubbing his chin and wagging his brown monkey-like tail. "Naruto seems to be a special case. Normally, among our kind, our tails only change form if we transform, either partially or completely. Naruto seems to have found a way to lock himself in that form, at least his tail anyway," Jiraiya explained.

"But why?" Sakura questioned.

Seeing that Jiraiya didn't seem to know the answer this time, Naruto replied, "It's for my style of fighting. This long tail is more useful than the normally short form. It's also simpler to stay like this than to take the time to transform. This way, I have all the strengths of a transformation without the lag-time to undergo it."

With her questions somewhat answered, Sakura and her team headed for the Hokage's office. They opened the door and…

"Team Kakashi…! Your timing is perfect. I have a new mission for you!" the Hokage declared.

"Come on grandma… No more lame missions. Give us something good," Naruto whined.

"This one is very urgent…! It's from the Sand…!"

* * *

**End of chapter… **

Naruto returns to home to see things both old and new…

After getting back into the grove of things somewhat, he and his team are confronted with a new mission…

Next chapter: Mission of urgency!

**Extra… **

**(*)** Yes, I got the idea of Naruto and other beast warriors' tails from the Saiyans of "Dragonball", but I added a little something of my own. When transforming, the user's tail morphs to that of its true nature/creature from the monkey-like version. I have it this way because, there's nothing more useful than an extra appendage, a prehensile tail, even if it can be used against you…


	2. New Mission

Normal speech

_Thought_

**Kyuubi/Nine-tails/Other big voices**

_**InnerSakura **_

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form, but I do own the OCs in this story… :-) This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap:**

After a long journey, Naruto returns home to discover many things the same as when he left and others slightly different. After a reunion, and a brief test, Team Kakashi is reformed with the addition of a new member, Naruto's sister, Yuuki. Things seemed good for the moment, but now the new team is faced with an urgent mission...

**

* * *

**

**New Mission**

"From… the Sand," Naruto gasped.

The 5th nodded, and informed them, "I've just received word that the Kazekage has been taken by the organization Akatsuki!"

"_Ga-… Gaara's been… Those guys again…?" _

"I hope that your last mission wasn't too exhausting because, as of right now, you are to immediately go to the Sand, find out the situation, and relay it back to the Leaf," the Hokage commanded. "After that, follow the orders of the Sand and back them up!"

With the order given, the team immediately headed out. On their way out of the village, they came across Temari leaving as well. Sakura informed her of the situation and she agreed to show them a quicker way to the Sand. Before they could be on their way however, Jiraiya showed up to have a little chat with Kakashi…

"If this is the case, I'd better give you these," he said while slipping him a stack of seals. "The two over there have gotten pretty strong over the years. They've also gotten better at controlling their power, but they both can be hot-headed at times. If either of them start to lose it, place these seals to their body."

He then glanced at Naruto before continuing, "If either one starts to lose themselves to the Kyuubi, the other will do the same if they're in the same vicinity. Yuuki's had more experience and training with the Kyuubi's chakra so, the one you need to be wary of is Naruto… When he loses control, he can be very devastating in a short amount of time. If he becomes enshrouded in chakra, don't let too many tails form."

"Are you two done yet? We have to get a move on before it's too late!" Naruto anxiously shouted.

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Iruka wished them luck. They were soon out of sight and on their way to the Sand Village. Before long, Naruto began to pull away from the group. To keep him from getting too carried away, Kakashi called out to him…

"I can't stand it…!" Naruto responded. "The reason why these guys are after people like me, Yuuki, and Gaara… is because we have demons sealed inside us… Both Yuuki and I have parts of the demon fox, Kyuubi, sealed within us."

Temari and Sakura were surprised to hear this. Sakura had heard terrible things about the demon fox but didn't know that Naruto and his sister had this kind of burden to bear. She would get upset and throw a tantrum over something as simple as a bad hair day but that was nothing compared to the problems these two must have had. The two of them must have had much more serious things to worry about. She remembered how Naruto was treated as if he had some deadly disease when they were younger. For that reason, she automatically mistreated him even though she didn't really understand why.

"He and I are the same…! The only difference is that he was much lonelier than I was for so long… He was targeted by Akatsuki like I was before, but even so… why is it always him…!? Why does he always have to have such a hard role that he has to face alone!? This time…! This time for sure… I won't let him go through it alone! I'll make sure to save him…!"

Even though she didn't say it, Temari was thankful to Naruto for the path he had set her little brother on. If it weren't for him, Gaara would still have his warped personality and be as dangerous as ever.

"You've gone through a lot haven't you, Naruto?" Sakura asked. "I haven't just spent the past years training… I've looked through my master's notes and found out that the enemy Sasuke wants to kill is his brother, Itachi Uchiha… a member of Akatsuki. Because of that, Sasuke went to Orochimaru for power…"

"Yeah," Naruto replied. "That jerk Orochimaru just wants Sasuke for his body."

Sakura continued, "I also know that Orochimaru was once a part of the same organization as Sasuke's brother. As we get closer to Akatsuki, we should get closer to information on Orochimaru, and therefore, we should get closer to Sasuke."

As the team raced to the Sand, Sakura became determined to protect them all, Sasuke, Naruto, and Yuuki, from their enemies. Naruto picked up speed and the rest of the team did their best to keep up.

Tsunade was at her desk waiting for the backup team to arrive. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach as if something bad was going to happen. Was she just being paranoid or was her intuition correct. She checked the paper to see that she had actually won a lottery drawing. She knew that anytime something like this happened, there would definitely be a problem. She sent for Team Gai to be brought immediately to her office.

Naruto's team was being held up in a small cavern as a sand storm whipped about outside.

"I'm sorry about this. This sand storm appeared almost out of nowhere. We'll have to wait it out for a while, but as long as it ends soon, we should still make it to the Sand faster than normal," Temari said.

"We don't have time to wait! We don't know what will happen to Gaara if we're delayed any longer," Naruto angrily stated.

"Calm down Naruto… Getting upset won't help us get there any faster," Kakashi mentioned.

Naruto huffed, put on his hoods, and walked out the cavern. Sakura tried to stop and warn him that he could get lost outside, but Yuuki told her to let him go because he'd be alright. Before she knew it, Naruto disappeared into the winding sands.

"Why did you do that Yuuki? We'll have to go looking for him if he gets lost out there!"

She coolly responded, "Did you forget…? My brother has the ability to sense chakra signatures. We're more likely to get lost out there than he is. Right now he's just blowing off a little steam, so there's really nothing to worry about as long as we don't get turned around…"

"I guess you're right," Sakura realized. "But Yuuki… you and Naruto are twins, can you sense chakra signatures as well?"

"Sort of, she looked down as if she was a bit disappointed. "I can't sense chakra as far as my brother can but I can still do it… There's many things he can do that I can't. My brother is special in his way and I am in my own. Our grandpa told us that we were born of two clans. My brother got the best of both while I only got one. Grandpa also told me that because I've been exposed to the Kyuubi for so long from so early, it's somehow affected my overall development," she answered.

As she finished, Naruto returned saying that the storm had stopped. Seeing that he was right, the group gathered their belongings and rushed to the Sand Village. Once they finally arrived, they were greeted and brought into the village. They were informed that the Kazekage had been abducted and that Kankuro had been wounded while in pursuit…

A group of Sand shinobi stood over Kankuro's body in the infirmary. They were baffled as to what kind of poison had invaded his system.

"Poison is my specialty, but even I don't know how to treat this… Sasori's grown a huge amount," a little old lady gravely spoke. "The only other person that could possibly have more knowledge about neutralizing poisons than myself, is the 'Slug Princess of the Leaf', Tsunade. During the 'Great Ninja War', she was able to figure out the poisons in which I had created and come up with antidotes. I was greatly embarrassed by this. Maybe this child can be saved if you were to call her here…"

"But she is currently the Hokage. There's no way she can just leave her village so easily," Baki informed. "Even if she could come, it takes three days to reach the Sand from the Leaf. That's time we no longer have. For now we've sent a request for a specialist team and it's taking everything we have to wait for them to arrive."

Hearing this, the little old woman exploded, "Stop relying on others…! This village has become too dependent on its alliances with other countries that it's become careless with its own training and ended up in this predicament!"

"But Elder Chiyo…"

"Why are depending and relying on the Leaf so? There's no use in it. They are them, we are us! All they are going to do is send some useless underlings. Don't expect much from that annoying 'slug woman'…"

_The Leaf Village... _

Tsunade unexpectedly sneezed as she was still waiting for Team Gai to arrive. She was becoming more irritable as the seconds slowly passed.

"Lady Tsunade…! They've arrived," Shizune announced.

"Good…! Bring them in!"

_The Sand Village... _

The team and Temari rushed into the infirmary and, seeing Kankuro's laying frame…

"I'll examine him," Sakura volunteered.

She was informed that Kankuro had been infected with a new poison a couple of days ago. So far they hadn't found any antidote.

In the confusion, Chiyo noticed a familiar person entering as well…

"_Tha-… that's… _the Leaf's 'White Fang'…!"

Feeling threatened, she jumped into action. She attacked but was intercepted by Naruto. He blocked her punch and prepared to thrust his palm into her body. As he tried, she raised her knee and allowed herself to be forced back.

"What's with you old lady!? Why are you attacking Kakashi sensei all of a sudden?!" Yuuki asked.

Darkly, Chiyo said, "I remember that time… that the Leaf's 'White Fang'…! My son's enemy… I will get revenge for him today!"

Kakashi tried to explain that she was mistaken, but Chiyo wouldn't hear it. She readied to attack again but was stopped by her brother. He revealed to her that Kakashi wasn't who she thought he was. She examined Kakashi more intently and realized that they were right, though she didn't let them know that…

"No waaaay! I was just pretending… Gyahahaha!" she cackled.

With this, everyone turned their attention to Sakura who had ignored the ruckus and was now treating Kankuro. Everyone watched in amazement as she managed to single out the poison in Kankuro's system and withdraw it from his body. She then preserved it in hopes of creating an antidote. The entire room let out a sigh of relief as Sakura assured them that Kankuro was no longer in any danger. Sakura analyzed the poison she extracted and requested specific materials in order to prepare an antidote…

With a moment to rest, Naruto approached her, "Wow Sakura, you're amazing…!"

"Really…? You think so…? To be honest, I've still got a long way to go. If you thought this was something, you should see what Hinata can do," she responded.

She was then approached by an astonished Chiyo, "You-… you're like that 'Slug woman'… That a girl like you would come…"

"Oh, you mean Lady Tsunade… I was trained by her. She's my master. As soon as we received the report, she sent us right over," Sakura stated cheerily.

_The Leaf... _

Tsunade stood barking orders to her latest arrivals, "All of you… your mission is the same as Team Kakashi. You're to head for the Sand and give your support," she commanded. "Is that understood?"

A resounding "Yes ma'am!!" was heard as Team Gai prepared to set out…

"We'll leave immediately and provide backup as soon as possible!" Lee saluted.

"That's a good idea Lee," Gai encouraged. "As a matter of fact, we should get there in one day."

Feeling inspired, Lee bolstered that they could get there in half a day. Both TenTen and Neji couldn't believe how sure they sounded about this.

"What are they talking about?" Neji questioned. "It takes three whole days," he clarified.

"Stop with the nonsense you two! There's no physical way we can possibly do that," TenTen informed the two that seemed to be trying to outdo one another.

_The Sand... _

Sakura was taking in the Sand's hospitality with their healing herbs. While she was doing this, Naruto and the others sat in the infirmary to keep an eye on Kankuro. He was still breathing pretty heavily, but it was nothing to seriously worry about. Curious about the situation involving the Sand's abducted Kazekage, Kakashi asked if they had any leads. Regrettably, they had none. Hoping for something, Kakashi asked to see where Kankuro was found…

"You'd just be wasting your time," Kankuro weakly stated. "There are two enemies… Instead of trying to track them, you should follow Gaara's scent. That's more important. If for whatever reason they split up, I managed to snag a bit of one of their clothing in Crow's hand," he got out before nearly hacking up a lung.

After momentarily pulling himself together, he went on to confirm that one of the Akatsuki was Sasori, Chiyo's grandson. To the best of his ability, he then informed Team Kakashi of his encounter with the Akatsuki that abducted his younger brother.

Before they could leave, Kankuro grabbed Naruto's attention, "Naruto… Uzumaki… please… save my brother," he weakly pleaded.

With a smirk, he responded, "Leave it to me! I'll definitely rescue Gaara and then… once I become Hokage, I'll have an advance favor from the Kazekage!"

The team and Temari headed outside and just as they were about to leave, they were stopped by an eager Chiyo. She ordered Temari to stay to protect the country's border. Instead, she would be going in her place. Unsure of what to make of the little old lady's proposal and eagerness, they decided not to put up much of a fuss.

With her in tow, Team Kakashi departed as quickly as possible. Though they were on their way, all they required was the location of the Akatsuki. With that taken care of by Kakashi's ninja hounds, the team made a straight beeline to the River Country in hopes of arriving in time. At the same time, Team Gai was approached by Pakkun so that he could lead them to the Akatsuki's hideout as well. With two teams of the Leaf coming for them, a plan of action was taken…

"Naruto, Yuuki… can I ask you something?" Sakura grabbed their attention. "How long has Akatsuki been after you?"

After a brief moment of silence, Yuuki spoke, "I'm not sure… but grandpa didn't waste any time training me to use the Kyuubi's power for myself. He said that it would be better to be safe than sorry… After a few years, he finally said that he had something to check on in the Leaf Village. At the time, I had no idea that he was talking about my brother…"

"A couple of years ago, two of Akatsuki's members infiltrated the village in order to capture Naruto. They were thwarted and haven't begun moving until now. I still don't understand why they waited," Kakashi filled in. "Perhaps they were waiting for the time when Jiraiya wasn't by their sides, hoping that they would be more vulnerable."

Chiyo would be next to fill in chunks of information, "Well, from what I've gathered… it requires a considerable amount of time to separate and seal a 'tailed beast'."

Not understanding Chiyo's terminology, Sakura asked what she meant. In return Chiyo informed her, "The 'tailed beasts' are mystical monsters made of chakra. Each one has a certain number of tails and so are referred to by the number of tails they possess. The one sealed inside Gaara, and the reason behind his abduction, is the 'One-tail'. There are 9 in total. Because of their fierce power, they were greatly sought after during the 'Great Ninja War'. Every hidden village wanted to get their hands on at least one. However, no one can control the great power they possessed. The best way, if even that, is with a 'human sacrifice' or host."

Once again Sakura asked for an explanation…

Chiyo went on to say, "A 'human sacrifice', is something that is used to host the beast's power within themselves. This may be the most effective way to control the beast's incredible power to date, but it isn't perfect. There are some cases in which the 'sacrifice' becomes greatly influenced by the beast and becomes destructive. For this reason, many 'sacrifices' are feared and are forced to lead miserable, lonely lives."

"I wish you'd stop referring to us that way," Naruto groaned.

Chiyo had no idea what she had said to upset him. Naruto clarified, "Stop referring to us as 'sacrifices', I can't stand it."

"Yeah," Yuuki agreed. "We didn't ask to be given this power connected to some vicious beast. We were just unfortunate to receive such a burden."

"We're people like everyone else, not tools or weapons, so we shouldn't be treated any differently! It's because of things like this that Gaara became a psycho. The whole 'tools of war' crap gets old, so let it go," Naruto stressed.

Hearing this from Naruto's mouth made Chiyo think of how she lived her life. After all the years she had lived, she thought she knew a thing or two, but from the mouths of babes…

Both teams were making, haste but a couple of anomalies slowed their progress. Before Team Gai appeared Kisame, while before Team Kakashi…

"Itachi…!!" Naruto growled.

Sakura was stunned. After all the talk, here before them stood none other than _the _Itachi Uchiha. Sakura silently growled to herself as she didn't know what to do with herself. After all of the things she had heard about him, she knew that she couldn't just charge him. That would be foolish.

"YOU BASTARD…!! NOT JUST US, BUT GAARA TOO…!" Naruto yelled.

Itachi nonchalantly greeted those before him, "It's been a while, Kakashi… Naruto… Yuuki…"

Hearing him call her out, Yuuki shuffled back out of slight fear. The last time she saw this guy, he intimidated her and beat the hell out of his own little brother.

"So what do we do?" Sakura asked.

"There's no way we'll just be able to get around him so… we'll have to defeat him here," Kakashi stated.

"That's a risky move," Chiyo scoffed. "But I guess there's no other way. When it comes to a Sharingan user, the best method is to simply run away… but since that isn't an option, it's better to use numbers to our advantage. That way, if one person is caught in genjutsu, the others can either take the opportunity to defeat the user or disable the genjutsu by applying chakra to the victim," she explained.

"The best thing I can come up with is to avoid looking him directly in the eyes. Try to judge his movements from his body and feet," Kakashi added.

Sakura tried to quickly apply this method but found it difficult. Hearing all this made her unsure of the outcome of this battle. One that didn't seem affected by this information however…

"Are you forgetting about something, Kakashi sensei?" Naruto stepped up. "With my ability, I don't even need to look at this guy to fight him," he mentioned before glancing back at his hesitant sister. "Don't worry Yuu, I won't let this creep hurt you. I'll handle this… I've been itching to tear this guy apart--…"

"Sorry Naruto, but you'll have to take the backseat for this one," Kakashi abruptly interrupted. "You're not the only one with a score to settle with this guy. I should take the lead on this one, for payback when he put that genjutsu on me. It affected me before I knew what happened…"

"That's Kakashi for you… After being affected by my Tsukuyomi just once, you seemed to have grasped a bit of understanding," Itachi stated.

"That's not all," Kakashi retorted. "After you used that jutsu, you grew weary and left the fight. Besides the fact that it requires a great deal of chakra, it also presents a great risk to your eyes as well," he concluded. While lifting his headband, he asked, "Just how far… has your eyesight deteriorated, Itachi?"

Upon hearing this and seeing Kakashi's sharingan, Itachi looked awestruck. He averted his gaze and wouldn't say a word.

He finally reacted with, "Impossible Kakashi… How did you…?"

Kakashi answered, "Last time I was unprepared, but this time… things won't go your way."

"You seem pretty sure of yourself Kakashi sensei… What have you got up your sleeves?" Naruto inquired.

"I'll take him on," Kakashi declared.

"But sensei, wouldn't it be better if we used teamwork?" Sakura asked.

At this, Yuuki made her thoughts clear, "You're saying that because you really want to take a shot at this guy, right? If you had actually seen what he was capable of, I'm sure you'd be as hesitant as me."

Sakura didn't want to admit it, but Yuuki was right. She just wanted a chance to take out her frustrations on the guy that's been making her teammates' lives hell.

"I wish that I could tell you to go on ahead and that I'll handle this alone, but… even with me as his opponent, I won't be able to handle him by myself," Kakashi told them.

Itachi slowly raised his hand and said, "We'll have you come with us, Naruto," while pointing at him.

Naruto could feel a sensation as Kakashi rushed at Itachi. He watched as his sensei's attack was blocked with a second Itachi appearing out of the blue and coming right for him. Something was off about this. He was starting to get a headache. Before him was an enemy targeting him, but his senses told him different. His headache intensified and he winced in pain…

When he opened his eyes, his entire team was defeated. Looking at them scattered and laid over the battlefield tipped him off…

"This must be a genjutsu… Just a second ago they were standing and now…" he judged. "It all happened too fast for it to be real."

Even though he said this, he was having trouble proving it. His senses were going haywire. One moment he could sense everyone but the next just seemed empty. That is, until he found himself surrounded by Itachis. Distraught, Naruto recalled his training. He remembered the way Jiraiya instructed him to disable a genjutsu and applied it. The Itachis slowly disappeared one by one as Naruto stopped his chakra flow and his tail changed to a shorter, monkey-like form. Naruto opened his eyes to see an empty field, no comrades, no enemy…

The flutter of birds caught his attention. As the pain continued, Naruto knew that he hadn't dispelled the illusion. He watched as the crows gathered and began to take the form of Itachi…

"Dammit…! Even though I didn't look him in the eyes…"

"These eyes aren't the only means I possess to cast genjutsu… Even a finger is enough," Itachi pointed out.

Naruto began to feel worse as his senses raged. Itachi went on to say, "Don't worry, I won't use the Mangekyou Sharingan…, or rather, I can't at the moment," he hinted.

Crows began to circle him. They transformed into shuriken and ripped through Naruto's skin. He shook off this stinging pain and tried to focus. If he couldn't see through the illusion, he would have to see beyond it…

As more shuriken pelted him, Naruto ignored it all. He remained focused and concentrated on Itachi's chakra signature. He pinpointed it and with a Rasengan in hand, launched his counterstrike. He ignored the illusion Itachi's warning and thrusted his Rasengan in a specific place. He felt the signature slipping away. He wasn't sure if he had gotten him or not, but things were made clear rather quickly. Naruto's skin began peeling. His entire right side turned into the monstrous Sasuke he had fought at the "Valley of the End". His right hand grabbed his neck and began choking the life out of him as Sasuke began cursing him. Others began sprouting all over his body blaming him for being such a failure as well…

While Naruto was in his dilemma, Yuuki felt that something strange was happening. She looked to her brother and could feel that his chakra was behaving oddly. She knew something was wrong as Naruto looked to be in pain while standing still. The fact that he stopped his own chakra flow and reverted was the final nail in the coffin…

"I… I think there's something wrong with my brother. He's acting strangely," she reported.

Sakura and Chiyo took notice and watched as Naruto's form changed. After a brief moment, he returned to normal but he still wasn't acting it. Out of the blue, he formed a Rasengan and charged for Itachi. The only problem with this however, is that he nearly went through Kakashi to get to him…

Both he and Itachi evaded Naruto's attack. They thought he had returned to reality but word from Yuuki, and the fact that he was now choking himself, proved otherwise. Sakura, Chiyo, and Yuuki immediately rushed over to him and forced their chakra into his system. Naruto snapped back and was relieved to see that it wasn't nowhere near as bad as the illusion.

"Are you alright Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto nodded as he refocused on the enemy. Naruto was astounded at just how fearsome Itachi was. Even after all he had been through, Itachi still had a way to take the advantage from him. Naruto bore his teeth and resolved to defeat him for sure this time. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll. Before he could use it however, Itachi swiftly performed seals and released a giant fireball that cleared a path to the group…

They all jumped out of the way. Both Itachi and Naruto noticed that Kakashi had disappeared in the confusion. As soon as Itachi noticed the hole in the ground, Kakashi sprang from the earth attempting a jawbreaking uppercut. Itachi leaned back and avoided just that as he grabbed Kakashi's arm and threw a punch of his own. Kakashi weaved it but Itachi grabbed the back of his head and pulled him in close. The two locked eyes and…

"Indeed you are skilled, Kakashi… You concealed yourself and I didn't notice until it was too late," Itachi stated as Naruto and Yuuki attacked.

Kakashi poked his head from the hole he created, clarifying that the other was a shadow clone. He did it just in time to see Naruto and Yuuki collaborating to strike Itachi with a very large Rasengan. They forced their way through the clone and made contact with Itachi, immediately shredding him and his clothes. He was sent violently spiraling through the air and crashed a great distance away in the forest ahead.

Sakura and Chiyo were astonished at the feat of devastating chakra and power. Kakashi went in search of the body to make sure it was done and finish it if not. The rest of the team followed with Naruto and Yuuki lagging do to a bit of exhaustion. They arrived at the crash site. There, they discovered a horrible truth…

"This… this…" Chiyo faltered as she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

_Team Gai... _

After an _"unforgettable"_ encounter with this Kisame character, Team Gai made its way through the forest on route to the Akatsuki's hideout. They couldn't put the battle and what they had seen behind them as it kept bothering them however…

"What… in the world was that?" Lee questioned.

No one had any answers. It was silent until Gai came up with something…

"I'd never seen that guy before in my life… I remember a little about the blue guy, but… the other one… Was it some kind of jutsu?"

_Team Kakashi... _

Team Kakashi appeared to be in a similar situation. The one they were fighting wasn't the one laying in defeat. Not sure what to make of it, the team concluded the same as Gai's.

"I thought something was strange in the middle of it," Kakashi mentioned.

"He…" Chiyo started and stopped. "He's Yuura… a Jounin from my village," she informed.

"But if he's from the Sand, what is he doing here in an Akatsuki robe?" Yuuki asked.

"Could… could it be that… he could have been a spy for the Akatsuki?" Sakura hesitantly asked.

"That can't be…! He's worked hard as a leader in our village for four whole years," Chiyo ranted.

Kakashi interjected, "No… it wasn't something as simple as a transformation. This isn't that level of jutsu… The 'Grand Fireball Jutsu' is one that the Uchiha clan developed and use well. That was the real thing…"

The team came to the conclusion that the "real one" must actually be at the hideout while this one was just to delay them. Chiyo informed everyone that they must have begun extracting the "tailed beast". If successful, Gaara would die. With no time to waste, the team left the site. After a brief moment of rest, they made haste as Naruto anxiously flew through the forest…

"Why does this boy go so far?" Chiyo inquired.

Kakashi answered, "To Naruto, he's not doing this for the relationship of our villages… Since he, like Gaara, is the host of a beast, Naruto understands him better than anyone. They both may. Because they've had similar pasts in being hosts, he won't let himself let Gaara go… To him, Gaara is someone who understands the same pain as him." He then went on to say, "It's been Naruto's dream to become Hokage… When he heard Gaara had become Kazekage, he seemed fairly disappointed in himself… but on the other hand, Naruto was also congratulatory and gave him his blessing, from the depths of his heart. Naruto has a mysterious power… even without saying much, he can befriend anyone…"

Team Gai arrived at the destination. Right away, Neji used his Byakugan to search for a way inside the closed-off hideout. Gai tried to bust their way in but was stopped by a barrier. With this halting their rescue, Gai figured that they would have to disable it.

"That's a 'Five Seal Barrier'," Kakashi informed as they arrived on the scene.

There were mostly smiles all around as the two teams greeted one another. With that out of the way, a plan was formulated to successfully eliminate this barrier. Neji used his Byakugan again and found the other four tokens used to create it. He reported their location and his team was to see to their removal. They left and, with Neji's direction, quickly found what they were looking for. On command, they all, including Kakashi, removed the tokens. With the barrier removed, Kakashi had Sakura destroy the giant boulder that blocked the opening of the hideout. She smashed the rock into large pieces and her team entered the cave…

Team Gai had the thought of joining them, but with a new problem rising from the earth, they had no say in the matter. With them once again detained, Team Kakashi was on their own…

They entered the cave ready for a fight. They expected a cave full of enemies ready to pounce on them. What they didn't expect was that it would just be two enemies…

"So which one of you is the host we're after…? Hmm…" the blonde guy sitting on Gaara pried.

Hearing this and seeing how Gaara was being mistreated angered Naruto. What really set him off was what he knew to be true but didn't want to believe. His rage grew as did his whiskers. With one outburst of fury, the Akatsukis' question was answered…

"YOU BASTARDS…!! I'LL RIP YOU ALL APART…!! GET OFF OF HIM!!"

"And just why should I do that…? This guy's corpse makes for a good cushion, hmm," the blonde snidely remarked.

"Corpse…" Sakura and Yuuki said in disbelief.

Enough was enough as Naruto exploded, "I SAID, GET OFF YOU BASTARD!!"

Naruto zoomed at the two Akatsuki. Kakashi wanted to stop him but was too slow. Even the Akatsuki were surprised as Naruto made it before them so quickly and unexpectedly planted a fist in Deidara's face. He fell off his "seat" several yards away. Sasori whipped his pointed tail about and tried to impale Naruto, but he grabbed Gaara and the attack phased through him.

Naruto returned a safe distance away and put Gaara into the care of his shadow clone. Deidara got up wiping the blood from his mouth. With a smile he said, "Itachi only said that the Kyuubi's host was loud, he didn't say anything about how strong it was. I wasn't expecting something like that and I paid for it, hmm…"

He walked back to the spot he was sitting in when his partner told him, "I told you not to underestimate the hosts, Deidara. If you keep it up, you'll die."

"Master… this'll probably make you mad, but… I'll handle that host, hmm."

Sasori angrily stated, "The assignment is one person per beast… You've already caught yours, don't push it."

The two then began arguing amongst themselves about the beauty of art and what it really was. Presented with an opportunity that may never appear again, Yuuki took it. She pulled a bunch of shuriken and kunai and launched them. Not missing a beat, Sasori whipped his tail and deflected the attack.

"_Indeed, he handles his puppets as well as he did long ago," _Chiyo thought to herself.

Suddenly, Sasori turned on his partner. Avoiding being run-through, Deidara retreated to his clay bird. Both were pissed that the other wanted to capture Naruto.

Deidara figured, _"That host seemed particularly determined to get that other one back… _Fine master… do your little 'puppet show', but don't expect any help from me… Instead, I think I'll just watch from up here."

Sasori didn't object and neither did the Leaf and Chiyo since they decided to flee while they could. The only problem with this was that Naruto was itching to take these two out now. Kakashi tried to talk some sense into him but Naruto just objected with, "If we don't stop these two here, then this'll just happen to others! As it is now, we have more people. This is our chance…"

Kakashi hated to admit it but Naruto had a point. If Deidara meant what he said, they would have a 5 on 1 advantage. They could defeat one and take care of the other afterwards. On the other hand, for them to be confident enough to fight against those odds could spell trouble for his team. He was on the fence of what to do. He would have to make a decision quickly though as Naruto had already made his.

Predicting Naruto's volatile personality, Chiyo volunteered to take the lead against Sasori. She asked for everyone else to leave it to her and be her backup. After a single glare from Sasori, Sakura couldn't let the woman face such a dangerous opponent alone. She volunteered to help out in the fight any way she could. Seeing how serious she was, she allowed it.

Chiyo launched a string of kunai that ripped through his robe and revealed more of his body. He taunted them by saying, "If you plan on opposing me, Chiyo… then I'll just have you and that kid join my collection. I'll start by dragging out your entrails. Then I'll rip your skin off and clean all the blood. Once I treat it so it doesn't decay, I'll stock it with the rest of my collection."

Sakura was speechless after seeing what was hidden under the robe and hearing the things he'd said. Naruto could tell that the pressure was starting to get to her. He was about to step in for her but Chiyo wouldn't stand for it…

"You wanted to fight, so fight! Don't back down now. If you're nervous about how you'll fair, then I'll give you a bit of information that could be of some help… That isn't Sasori's real body. It's a puppet," she said trying to incite Sakura to fight against the odds.

Intimidating, Sasori spoke up again, "Like the old hag said, this is but one of the many bodies at my disposal… I also want you to fight because whether you do or not, I plan to increase my puppet collection beyond 300 with all of you. _**That**_ is my art!"

Yuuki stepped up and said, "Don't worry big sis… I'll even help out. We'll beat this guy together."

Sakura smiled and said, "That's good to hear, Yuuki. It's much appreciated. Now the only thing I'm worried about is that, since he's a puppeteer, where is he hiding his real body?"

"His real body is on the inside," Chiyo proudly answered. "Puppeteers are weak in combat because they're left open to attacks while controlling their puppets. The puppet he is using is one to bypass such a weakness. The puppet becomes like armor and a weapon all at once. I know it well because it's always been Sasori's favorite."

"It's true that there _is _a chakra signature inside, but… there's something odd about it," Yuuki commented.

"As long as he's hiding himself in that puppet, Hiruko, we'll have bigger things to worry about like the unpredictable trap mechanisms that can launch attacks out of nowhere," Chiyo announced.

"You said that you knew that puppet, so you probably know its traps well… That gives us the advantage in this situation. That's quite a relief," Sakura sighed.

"That was the case before when I thought that I could handle him myself, but… this Hiruko is different from the one I knew long ago," she revealed. "That shell on its back wasn't there before. With it, its defensive capabilities must've been strengthened. Also there's that left hand. Along with all these new changes, my knowledge of it may be of no use."

"What should we do?" the two young girls asked.

Chiyo answered, "First things first… We have to take out Hiruko. Once we destroy it, we'll go from there. Since I don't have the strength to do it, I'll be depending on the two of you… especially you, Sakura, and the superhuman strength you got from Tsunade."

With faith placed in her, Sakura's fighting spirit was rekindled. As Chiyo explained the plan to eliminate Hiruko, Sakura prepared by securing her gloves and Yuuki, her gauntlets in like. Once the battle-plan had been established, the three kunoichi were ready to fight…

"So you're finally ready…? It's about time. As you probably know already, I don't like to be kept waiting," Sasori warned.

"Relax… we'll kill you shortly," Chiyo retorted.

Sasori ripped the cloth from around Hiruko's mouth as poisonous darts flew from it. The three kunoichi rushed into the barrage and gracefully dodged every one. While they were preoccupied with this, Hiruko's club-like left hand was fired in their direction and exploded in an array of projectiles. Unlike the first, this proved to be a bit more difficult to evade, but…

"_Even the brats…!?"_ Sasori inquired.

Both Sakura and Yuuki charged from different sides. The first to reach him, he swung his tail but Yuuki slid under it. Continuing with the momentum, he went for Sakura. she stopped in place as did his tail. At this point he realized what was happening…

"_So that's it…! You old hag…!" _

Still sliding, claws protruded from Yuuki's gauntlets as she cut Hiruko's remaining arm. It crashed to the ground and, with word from Chiyo, from the air, Sakura dropped the hammer. She barbarically slammed the side of her axe onto the puppet and flattened it with pieces exploding into the air.

Before it was demolished, a cloaked figure escaped from within. Once he stopped, Sasori spoke, "Of course… that's my grandmother for you… No wonder the brats were able to avoid my traps… I expected it from you, but them… You read my attacks and using chakra threads from the 'Puppet jutsu', you were able to guide the girls. You even managed to place your threads on Hiruko's tail as a precaution. I hadn't noticed until you stopped me from killing that girl. You must've attached them to kunai and had them switch over when they hit."

Chiyo congratulated him on working it out. She wasn't surprised about this, but she was surprised once Sasori revealed himself…

"_What is this…? He… looks the same as he did long ago… It's as if he hasn't aged a day," _a perplexed Chiyo thought.

Sasori pulled a scroll that had 3 written on it and stated, "I'll show you something special. Killing this one for my collection proved to be rather difficult… That's why I like him the best."

With a new puppet revealed, Chiyo was once again puzzled, "That… It couldn't be… That's… the 3rd Kazekage…"

Sakura questioned what this meant and Chiyo explained,"It's been over ten years since he disappeared from the village… He was the strongest of the Kazekages. Sasori, you…! You've not only fallen to the level of a mere criminal, but you've betrayed your village and gone after the Kazekage three times…"

"Three times…?" Sakura and Yuuki pried.

"It was Orochimaru who killed the 4th Kazekage, Gaara's father, but it was this one who guided him. With this time with Gaara and now even the 3rd…"

Sasori interrupted her and corrected, "Hey, hey… I wouldn't say I had anything to do with the 4th … It was my subordinate who guided him. Originally I _was _partnered with Orochimaru when he was a part of Akatsuki, so we did many things, but…"

This time Sasori was interrupted by Sakura, "You… know about Orochimaru…? Tell me what you know!" she demanded.

"I'd rather not… Instead, let's get on with it," he answered as he flung his puppet at them.

Chiyo quickly jerked the girls back towards her and out of harm's way as Sasori's puppet swiped at them with blades. Luckily, Chiyo used Hiruko's tail to protect them. With a turn of luck, Sasori continued his offense by extending his puppet's reach. A wall of puppet arms branched out and like a wave crashed down on the two young kunoichi.

Within the forest of arms, the two kunoichi were still in one piece. Sasori concluded that this would never end this way. From a secret compartment in his puppet, Sasori released a smog of poisonous gas. As it flooded the area, Chiyo quickly and roughly yanked the girls back, but Sakura was caught. She took a deep breath before the gas engulfed her…

With her escape impeded, Sakura was at the mercy of Sasori's poison gas. Yuuki and Naruto wanted to rush in and save her but they were stopped by Chiyo and Kakashi. Instead Chiyo would risk herself to save Sakura, but it was pointless. Before anyone could get to her, Sakura used a kunai to cut the rope tied to her and an explosive tag to blow her out of the cloud of poison as well as blow it away. Chiyo was astonished at the length Sakura had gone to escape.

After a few minutes of coughing, Sakura shouted, "You… I'll get you! Even if my limbs are blown off and I'm paralyzed by your poison, I'll get you!! No matter how much you resist or what you do, I'll still get you!! I'll beat you to within an inch of your life if that's what I have to do to get you to talk about Orochimaru…! Got it…!!?"

Not caring what she had to say, or yell in this case, Sasori attacked once again with a barrage of kunai. To defend herself and the girls, Chiyo summoned two puppets to take the assault. Sasori appeared unimpressed with her selection of puppets. Especially since the two she summoned were, as she stated, the first he constructed in likeness of his father and mother.

Wires were connected between the two and Chiyo had them slice through the forest of limbs on their way to a showdown with Sasori's puppet. He backed off as they approached and the clash began. Weapons sprang from all over as the two puppeteers battled for supremacy.

After a few chipped and broken blades, Sasori grew tired of it and decided to get serious. From the 3rd's mouth spewed a cloud of sand. Chiyo informed her team that this technique was called the "Iron Sand" and it could be changed to any form and weapons to suit the user's need at any given situation. This was the reason it's user/creator is considered the strongest Kazekage.

"This is where we part ways," Chiyo announced. "I will handle it alone from here. The rest of you must leave! With that thing, things have gotten out of hand!"

Before anyone could make a single move, Sasori launched his "Iron Sand Drizzle" attack. Like bullets raining from the sky, sand scoured the cavern. Kakashi and the Naruto with Gaara climbed the wall while the girls were snatched up by Chiyo's "mother" puppet. To protect herself, she used the "father" puppet to create a chakra shield. Though a good idea, this was a mistake. The sand managed to get into the puppet's joints and make its movements more difficult.

"I've worked the iron sand through all of that puppet's body… As long as I have the 3rd's magnetic force, it's useless," he proclaimed. "Now I'll aim for all of you at the same time. And to be sure I've killed you… I'll make it into something really lethal…"

As he collected the iron sand, Naruto started to become anxious. His itch for action was starting to get to him. If things were really as hopeless as Sasori portrayed, then maybe Naruto could change that.

"With just one puppet, there's no way you can all be saved!" Sasori exclaimed sure of victory.

The iron sand took the shape of needles and rained down on everyone, except Deidara who was watching from up high. Naruto and Kakashi climbed even higher but had to watch as the attack rained onto the battlefield and kicked up a cloud of dirt and dust. Once it cleared, it was revealed that Sakura had covered Yuuki but Chiyo's puppet protected them. This would mean that Chiyo wasn't. Sasori's expectations of a new corpse was severely dismissed…

"You alive, old woman," Yuuki happily teased.

"Your own arm… you rigged your own body," Sasori clarified. "We puppeteers definitely think along the same lines."

Chiyo had deployed a chakra shield of her own. Her right arm retracted back to its original composition. Like her puppets before her, she began to have difficulty with her body as well.

"Your puppets are useless. What now?" Sasori boasted.

The shape of the sand was manipulated into that of wings and two other shapes. Things really did seem hopeless. If they were to fight, they could be crushed, but if they didn't, what could be done to stop it from happening anyway. The only thing to do was to fight. Sakura knew this as she stepped forward. Along with her, Yuuki did the same.

"I'm only one-armed now, so I'll have trouble supporting even one of you. It won't be the same as before," Chiyo informed.

"That's fine," Yuuki said. "I'm pretty quick myself and I've gotten really good at evading…"

"You can use me then," Sakura suggested. "I may not have weapons in me like a puppet, but… what I do have is my master's contempt for losing!"

Once again willing to put up a fight, Chiyo attached her chakra threads to Sakura and they were ready for another go. They charged at Sasori and he countered with hurling a pyramid of iron sand at them. He continued tossing sand around until he blew the ceiling off the cave.

"Geez…! He's getting out of control, hmm," Deidara said as he flew to what he hoped was out of range of Sasori's attacks.

Meanwhile the iron sand was still being slammed about as Sakura and company did their best to avoid it. Yuuki kept trying to get closer to the 3rd but time and time again she would be stopped by a wall of sand. To lend a hand, Sakura punched one of the sand figures to clear the path. Clearing the way wasn't the only intention Sakura had. She directed it right back at Sasori who jumped onto the cave wall. With all the destruction occurring, the cave that they had been fighting in no longer existed.

"And you call yourself a girl with that monstrous strength…?" Sasori commented on Sakura.

"_These girls… they've begun to see through Sasori's attack patterns in such a short amount of time. Is it them, or is this the power of the Leaf…?" _Chiyo pondered.

"_Before he attacks, the user always moves his fingers. That's the weakness of puppeteers… And from the pattern of his hands and arms, I'm starting to figure out the direction of his attacks," _Sakura calculated.

Sasori was beginning to become irritated. This was starting to take too long for his tastes. Wanting to finish things now, Sasori shifted his attack. The sand came together and branched out all over the place. In the confusion, the three kunoichi were separated. Chiyo came to realize that both girls had taken damage from the last attack. Sakura had cuts on her cheek, arms, and legs while Yuuki had a shallow one across her abdomen.

Chiyo was horrified. Even a single scratch could be a fatal wound. Sakura dropped to the ground as Yuuki struggled through the maze of sand. Once out, she fell over as well with labored breathing. This was it. Naruto wouldn't stay out of it any more. He began running down the wall on his way to jump into the fray…

"The poison's taken effect. As a result, the body instantly numbs and movement is limited. If left alone, it would take three days…" Sasori bragged. "But that's not what I plan to do!"

He sent his puppet to finish Sakura off. Naruto would have to hurry, but he was too far away. He would have to do something about that…

He intended to put everything into making up the distance but he noticed something. Unexpectedly, at least to those who didn't have chakra sensing abilities, Sakura sprang back to life and made firewood out of the puppet with a single punch. With the threat momentarily disposed of, Sakura made her way over to Yuuki and then over to Chiyo…

Dumbfounded, Chiyo could only say, "Sakura… you…"

Sakura responded, "An antidote… When I was making it for Kankuro, I made more just in case. Other than the one I used for him, I could only manage to make three. Because I knew that the enemy used poison, I made them into injection form. With the injection I just gave Yuuki, there's only have one left now."

She handed the last to Chiyo if she needed it and went on to say, "The antidote only works for three minutes after injection. In that time, no matter how much poison you're subjected to, the effects of the antidote will turn it into harmless protein. Since Sasori didn't know about the antidote, I was waiting for a moment when he was unprepared and used it on myself at the last second. At the moment, we have three minutes to end this fight!"

Yuuki stood to her feet and made her way over to Sakura as she healed Chiyo's arm. Although she wanted to continue fighting, the fact that she was exhausted was too daunting at the moment. Seeing how she wanted to go on fighting, Yuuki's admiration for Sakura grew even more. Chiyo slipped the antidote into her pouch and told Sakura to rest for the moment. With her partner at her limit, Yuuki would have to step up to the plate.

Seeing them still mobile, Sasori speculated how this could be. He was shocked to figure that an antidote must have been developed. Watching Sakura, the Medical ninja, healing everyone's wounds right in front of him, Sasori concluded that somehow she must have come up with the unprecedented antidote that defeated his poison.

Sasori removed his robe to reveal what was underneath. From his stomach, a long cable coiled to the ground and on his back were a pair of bladed extremities. In a serious tone and a ghastly expression, he said, "It's been a while since I've had to use myself…"

Flamethrowers popped from his palms and he began slinging fire about. The girls took cover behind rocks and debris as Sasori tried to cook them. The antidote's immunity effect was winding down. If they didn't take advantage of it soon, they would be on the run for the rest of the fight.

Sasori's cable shot through the debris and ripped into Sakura's side. As she winced in pain, Sasori made a move for Chiyo. Sakura tried to protect her but wouldn't make it in time. Yuuki filled in for her however as she stood out front, claws at the ready, to protect Chiyo…

"I'LL RIP THROUGH YOU AND THEN THE OLD HAG AS WELL!!" Sasori yelled.

A hair away, Sasori found himself going in another direction. Using her superhuman strength, Sakura yanked him her way in one go. She landed a punch that shattered Sasori's body into parts and pieces that scattered everywhere.

"_What is master doing down there? He's having trouble with an old hag and two little girls, hmm," _Deidara thought while surveying the fight from above.

Chiyo was surprised at what Sakura had accomplished. She was horrified, on the other hand, as the pain became too much for her and she fell to her knees. To add to the problem, Sasori's body reassembled itself…

He went to finish the injured Sakura but he was too slow. In the nick of time, Naruto grabbed her and brought her to safety. He decided that he was definitely going to get involved now, but…

"I have one more thing up my sleeve," Chiyo stated. "I never thought I'd use it again, but it seems that wasn't to be."

"Come on, granny… You've done enough. Leave the rest to me," Naruto groaned.

"Don't worry… I'll put an end to this here," Chiyo assured.

Naruto raised an eyebrow with how confident she sounded while saying this after the trouble she had had so far. She pulled a scroll and from it summoned 10 puppets with distinctive white robes and symbols. Sasori was impressed since the number of puppets a puppeteer could command was a measure of their strength. He was impressed, but…

"That is a considerable amount of puppets, but…" he said as he pulled a scroll from his back and opened a compartment in his chest. From it exuded multiple threads of chakra that connected to a massive group of black clothed puppets. "I'll show you the power of my last trick, 'Secret Red Technique: Hundred Manipulation'…"

With the time limit of the antidote up, Chiyo suggested that Sakura and Yuuki stay back. The two declined. No matter what happened, they weren't out of this fight just yet. Also wanting to fight, Naruto was reluctant to leave things to Chiyo…

"Alright… I guess I'll give you this chance… but if you don't finish things here, I'll finally get involved," Naruto mumbled.

Sasori's puppets began their assault and, with her own small army, Chiyo countered. They clashed and pieces broke and scattered everywhere. The battle dragged out until Sasori's forces had dwindled. To make up for it, and more, Sasori summoned even more puppets. A glancing blow to Chiyo was the last straw. Now Naruto and even Kakashi would step in and add their support.

Kakashi readied a kunai while Sakura had her axe and Yuuki her clawed gauntlets. Yuuki looked over to see Naruto pulling out a scroll…

"So you're gonna use that here…?" Yuuki asked.

Naruto nodded before unrolling the scroll…

* * *

**End of chapter… **

The battle against Sasori rages as more get involved…

Naruto unveils something new in hopes of concluding this fight once and for all…

Next chapter: A new trick…


	3. New Technique

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap: **

The Akatsuki makes its move and claims Gaara as a victim. Naruto and his team try valiantly to see to it that their plans are stopped. As the battle against Sasori rages on, Naruto plans to unveil something new in hopes of concluding this fight once and for all.

* * *

**A New Technique **

From his scroll, Naruto pulled a belt with four sheathed swords attached to it, two on each side. He placed it around his waist and seemed ready to begin.

"So, how far are you gonna go?" Yuuki asked.

"Just far enough to get the job done," Naruto responded.

Sakura was curious about what the two of them were talking about so casually. She watched as Naruto pulled two of the four swords out. Now in his hands were two katana and, with his tail and a new tail, _as far as his team was concerned_, drew the remaining two. These two were different than the katana. From a side view, their thicker blades were more curved to the point. The fuller of the blade was silver while the edge was blue. The blade led down to a similar four-pronged guard above the rounded hilt of the swords.

"Naruto…! When did you get a second tail…?" Sakura shockingly asked.

"I've had two since before I returned to the village… I just used one most of the time," he easily responded.

Sasori and Deidara looked on as Naruto cracked his neck and knuckles. Sasori watched him closely to try and predict what this _host _had up his sleeves. Deidara didn't really care much about the fight below. The first chance that he got, he would be the one to capture the new host.

"I've been itching to fight since the moment I saw you guys… Let's do this!"

Naruto charged and Kakashi followed. The two began mowing down any puppet that got close to them. While they were busy with this, Sakura and Yuuki provided protection for Chiyo as she used her puppets to help eliminate more of Sasori's puppets. After a couple of minutes of barely getting anywhere, Naruto decided to step things up a little more…

He took the swords held by his two tails and connected them at the pommel. With his tails, one over and one under the grip of the now united blades, Naruto began rotating his tails and winding them. He planted his katana in the ground and cycled through seals…

"Starburst: Starblade Runner!" he took a deep breath, picked up his swords, spun the two held by his tails like rotor blades, and his eyes lit up.

A pair of tufts resembling his tails grew from his hair and, in the blink of an eye, he was off. He hacked and sliced and diced his way through a great number of puppets and their weapons. In minutes, he had turned all of Sasori's puppets into kindle. All that was left was Sasori, or so it seemed…

"NARUTO…!!" Sakura called out.

Naruto soon found himself surrounded by armed puppet pieces. Sakura wanted to help him but Yuuki stopped her. They watched as Naruto sheathed his swords. From all angles Sasori's puppet pieces attacked. Keeping his cool, Naruto calmly told everyone to stay back as he cycled through his seals and…

"Starburst: Pulsing Nova…!!"

A wave of whitish chakra exploded from Naruto's body numerous times. Sasori was shocked as he lost control of his puppets. His chakra threads were disabled and any puppet or piece that was too close was burnt by chakra.

Once done, Naruto's eyes returned to normal, his hair turned blonde, and he exhaled a small puff of smoke through his teeth. Naruto looked weak and it was made evident when the clone that was taking care of Gaara dispersed. This was a golden opportunity. Sasori jumped at this chance…

He ran for a huffing Naruto who was now vulnerable. All he needed to do was ensure that this host was disabled. He attacked, planning to add some poison into his system. He swung his blades but was blocked and turned back by Yuuki and her "claws". With his first attempt a failure, Sasori decided to give it another try, but this time he headed right for Chiyo. One of Chiyo's puppets spit out a ball and she told Sakura to use it to subdue Sasori. She grabbed it and threw it at him as hard as she could. Its velocity was so great that he didn't have time to stop or get out of the way. It collided with him and pinned him to the far back wall.

"What was that, old lady?" Yuuki asked.

"It's a sealing jutsu that completely suppresses all chakra… You can't even use a chakra thread," she answered as she began to shiver.

As she collapsed, Sakura ran over to her. She knew exactly what the cause was. Sasori's poison was taking effect.

A puppet came back to life and attacked with a poisoned blade. It was Sasori, and his target was Chiyo. In an attempt to save her, Sakura jumped in front as did Kakashi for her. They were surprised to see that the one who took the brunt of the attack was…

"Big brother…!"

"Naruto… why…?" Sakura questioned.

Without a single word or reaction to the pain, a golden haired and eyed Naruto wrapped one of his golden tails around Sasori's arm. He lifted his right hand and, from his gloved tips, chakra began to charge as he reached up to Sasori's chest. Fear overcame him as he could speculate what Naruto had planned…

As he was about to go through with it, Naruto heard laughs coming from elsewhere. He turned to see that Deidara had scooped up Gaara's body and was now leaving with him, daring Naruto to follow and try to get him back.

Naruto would have to finish this quickly. He turned around to see Sasori dislodging the arm that Naruto had a hold of. He revealed that he even had a blade concealed within the arm and came back for another try…

Naruto was starting to feel his body going numb. He could force it to move, but eventually it could be a hindrance. Seeing this, Chiyo ran to the front of the line, jamming the remaining antidote into his body, to save him.

Sasori was confused that she would do such a thing for some strange boy from a different village, but he was also more than pleased for his grandmother to be so willing to take the bullet. He would finally be rid of her. He went for the kill but stopped for an instant and was stabbed through the chest by the "father" and "mother" puppets.

Chiyo revealed that he had fallen into her traps, with the exception of everyone trying to take the blow for her. "You were careless in the end Sasori… Now I'm positive you won't be moving about… In the end, your secret was discovered. It doesn't matter if you have a puppet body… a part of your real body is still needed to control chakra," she labored. "From that body over there, just the left part of your chest was left intact. A puppet body is just a puppet… your real body allows you to use chakra and resides in that chest compartment…"

She fell to her knees from a combination of exhaustion and the effects of Sasori's poison. Noticing that Naruto was fuming but staying due to her, she told him to go after the other Akatsuki…

"Thanks granny," he waved.

After witnessing him roughly yank the sword from his body, Sakura halted him, "Wait Naruto…! I have to tend to your wounds; otherwise you could lose a lot of blood and pass out… or worse…"

"Do it later," he replied. "I'll get that other guy and be back before you know it," he exclaimed.

Kakashi tried to stop him but he wouldn't hear another word and was gone. Kakashi had faith in him, but he wanted to be on the safe side and followed. They raced to catch up to Deidara who was waiting for them. Keeping his distance in the sky, he led the two Leaf shinobi on a chase.

"THERE'S NO WAY I'M LETTING YOU TAKE GAARA!!" Naruto roared.

Teasing him a little more, Deidara responded, "You're quite the odd host… I'd heard that hosts generally hate other people because of their own bad moods, Hmm… But this guy here was unusual too. He went to great lengths to protect his entire village before I managed to take him… So far there haven't been any other hosts like the two of you. As a matter of fact, up until now, two other hosts that were defeated by my peers were practically given to us, and not one single person came to save them. Instead, it seemed they were happy to be rid of the monsters…"

Naruto gritted his teeth as his canines enlarged. He angrily growled as Deidara continued to taunt him, "Both so pitiful and detested… I guess you just couldn't ignore each other, Hmm? But you should know, Gaara's beast was extracted and he died. Shortly, you'll share the same fate. Got it?"

Naruto drew back and prepared to attack but was stopped by Kakashi, "Wait Naruto… Remain calm and we'll get Gaara back."

"I am calm…!" he angrily proclaimed. "Well…"

"This guy is a long distance fighter and that can make things tough. There're only two ways to defeat an opponent like this… The best would be to draw in the opponent close enough within range of your most effective attacks and defeat them. The other is to use your own long-range attacks… I know you have at least one long-range attack, but I think I should give it a shot. After all, I believe I have one that's better suited to shutting this guy up. I just need a little time to prepare," Kakashi hinted.

"I couldn't kill you or your little helper brats… That's a pity… but at least I secured that host brat. At least… I'll have led to his capture," Sasori coldly expressed.

Sakura jumped up and smashed him in the face. Unharmed, he told her to, "Give it up… This body feels no pain. If you continue to hit me like that, only your fist will hurt. Women truly do like to do useless things, don't they," he chuckled. "Even though we're connected by blood ties, I feel nothing if grandma here dies. The same goes for that host. My heart is just like this body. Of all that I've killed so far, they're just added to that list. It's that simple."

Sakura clenched her fists and exploded, "WHAT DO YOU THINK A HUMAN LIFE IS…!!?WHAT ARE BLOOD TIES TO YOU…!!? WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS…?!!"

Chiyo stopped Sakura before she let her emotions get the best of her. Sasori couldn't comprehend the way she was behaving. By what he knew, this wasn't the way a shinobi was supposed to behave.

"Maybe you should try to become more like this too," Sasori provoked. "Undecaying bodies like this… A puppet can be rebuilt again and again, unfettered by a mortal lifespan… That's what I do with the people I keep as my puppets, if I want them… I don't just add for the sake of numbers… Collections are about quality. I figured that the two of you would've been perfect for my collection… but now I can't stand the sight of you…"

"What the hell are you…?!" Sakura growled.

"Another pointless thing… If I must say… maybe I'm a person who couldn't become a puppet… I'm a puppet, but an incomplete one with a part of my former 'real' body… Not a puppet, not a human. He paused, "I won't be able to move for much longer. But before that, I'll do something pointless as well… Think of it as a reward for defeating me… You wanted to know about Orochimaru, didn't you…?"

Sakura was on edge. Did he really mean what he'd said? He was true to his word as he told her, "Ten days from now, be at the Tenchi Bridge in the Grass Country by noon…"

Once done, his head drooped as his life faded. He and the puppets crashed to the ground. Sakura was relieved that it was finally over, at least this fight. She said that it was all thanks to Chiyo but she confuted that it was Sasori's doing. He saw her last attack coming and yet, there he lay.

Chiyo doubled over from everything she had been through. Sakura wanted to take her back to the village so that she could create more of the antidote, but Chiyo refused. She still had one more thing to do…

"Help me with elder Chiyo, Yuuki…"

No answer came and she looked around, "Huh…? Where's Yuuki?"

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

"_I said that I'd handle this host, but I don't have much clay left. And what's worse, that 'Copy Ninja' Kakashi is here as well... Yeah," _Deidara thought. "What should I do…? Hmm," he pondered.

"It's done, "Kakashi said as he finished his preparations.

_What are they up to, Hmm? A while ago that kid was ranting and raving, but now… he's seemed to have calmed down," _Deidara wondered as he looked down on them.

Naruto was amazed at Kakashi's new sharingan. He had never seen anything like it before and asked what it was exactly. Kakashi informed him that it was the Mangekyou Sharingan…

"How good are you with it…?" Naruto asked but received no answer. "Sensei… it's ok if you screw up… 'cause it'll definitely be finished one way or another!" he declared.

Kakashi agreed and focused on the target. Deidara could feel a strange sensation coming from nowhere. Just as he realized, it was too late…

The sensation increased as Deidara noticed the warping of the space around him. Deidara found himself missing an arm as it was blown off by some unseen force…

"**Uuuggghhh! **Not again…! Dammit…!!" he groaned.

"_I missed… I still can't properly control the location and size of it…" _Kakashi tormented himself.

Deidara cried out in pain at the loss of his arm but he wouldn't have time to whine about it. Before he knew it, Naruto had appeared with swords drawn. He rotated and, like a buzzsaw, cut Deidara's clay bird to ribbons. A split second before Naruto shredded his bird and freed Gaara, Deidara jumped and fell to the forest below. Naruto shifted his focus to Gaara and grabbed him as they also fell into the forest.

Kakashi soon joined him as Deidara hid out of sight…

"_My right arm too…! Now I can't use jutsu… Is this it…? That host is dangerous, but that's only if he's allowed close enough. The bigger threat is that Kakashi… And to think that there's someone else that can use doujutsu at Itachi's level…" _

"There's no use in hiding," Naruto called out. "I can track you a number of ways now… Just know… you'll pay…!" he grimly stated as his eyes turned red, his whiskers thickened, and his canines sharpened.

"Gotcha, gotcha… We'll fight again soon… Yeah," Deidara goofed as he stayed hidden.

"You've let your guard down," Kakashi mentioned.

"What…? And how is that?" Deidara asked.

"You haven't noticed yet," Naruto started and stopped. "but there's someone more volatile than me on your tail," he let him know.

Before he knew what was going on, Deidara found himself on the receiving end of a devastating punch to the face. He was knocked from the tree and slammed to the ground below by red-haired clones. He was then jumped upon by an angered Yuuki. The clones returned to pin him down and make him even more helpless as she vented her rage.

"_If I hadn't seen her coming, I probably wouldn't have noticed Yuuki before it was too late as well. That girl…" _Kakashi thought.

"She's become really good at stalking," Naruto mentioned out loud. "When we had some time off from training, she would always try to sneak up and pounce on me, but it was useless because I could always sense her coming. Once she realized this, she would ask me to shut down her chakra system and try again. In a way, it was really helpful to both of us… With the little game we played, both of our abilities grew…"

Naruto watched as his sister violently punched Deidara again and again, slowly slipping further into a primal state. Naruto could also feel that he was losing himself the very same way. He knew that the Kyuubi's influence was growing by the second as the tailed chakra shroud covered his sister and bubbled out of him.

"Yuuki… stop…! Get a hold of yourself," he grimaced.

His plead fell on deaf ears as Yuuki unleashed the claws from her gauntlets and gruesomely tore into Deidara's body. Not done there with the addition of another tail, she reached into his chest cavity and pulled out his beating heart… or so she thought…

In front of her eyes, the heart in her hand and the body below her began to discolor and melt into clay. This enraged her even more and another tail rapidly formed. Naruto violently shook as the same happened to him.

Seeing him resisting, Kakashi asked, "Naruto… what's happening here?"

Straining, Naruto told him, "Because, **grr**… because we both have the Kyuubi sealed in us, guh… if one starts to lose themselves to it… the other will react if they're in the same area…"

"You're being affected by some kind of mutual reaction," Kakashi concluded. _"This is what Jiraiya warned me about… He said that Yuuki could control herself further into the transformation than Naruto… which means… if one more tail appears, everyone'll be in danger…" _

Deidara was hiding in a bush while watching all of this. _"What is this…? Is this a host's power? More importantly… that bastard Itachi didn't say anything about the girl being one as well…. What the hell…!? I'll give him a piece of my mind next time I see him… Hmm," _he thought as he watched Yuuki crawl out of the crater he once laid in.

Before things got out of hand, Kakashi pulled out one of the seals Jiraiya had given him and placed it on Naruto's forehead. After a moment of nothing happening and the sight of a fourth tail bubbling up, Kakashi realized that it hadn't worked. He quickly created a shadow clone after figuring, _"As long as they're in the same area while the other is using the Kyuubi's chakra, the seal won't have any effect since the reaction would just spark the transformation back up…" _

With great timing, Kakashi and his newly created clone placed the seals on both siblings' foreheads simultaneously. The shrouds that covered them slowly began to disperse as fatigue began to set in. Kakashi grabbed Yuuki as she collapsed, but as his shadow clone disappeared Naruto had no one to lean on. He, with Gaara in tow, fell from the tree and landed on Sakura and Chiyo who had just arrived on the scene. If it were just her, Sakura might have let it slide, but… ah, who was she kidding…? Even if he had only fell on her, she would still be trying to shake some sense into him or the life out of him, whichever happened first.

Feeling that enough is enough, Chiyo asked of Gaara's condition. With no response, she knew what she had to do. Deidara was still hiding himself, thinking, _"Unbelievable… Master Sasori's done for… Like anything is left for the future as a thing of beauty… he got killed straight off… That creation of his real body with the exposed weak point was just him being overconfident… Hmm. Well even if I do say so myself… that was an ending fit for an artist…" _

He noticed something behind him. When he turned around, there stood Team Gai. He quickly jumped to his feet and began running. With his mouth, he reached into his cloak and pulled a kunai as his pursuers caught up to him. The clang of steel rang through the forest as they tried to corral this villain…

"_Now there's no way I can escape,"_ Deidara thought.

While running, he noticed clay from his bird scattered about and began to consume it. Kakashi warned Team Gai to be careful of Deidara's explosive techniques. They now had him cornered, but he wasn't acting that way.

After taking a few bites of clay, Deidara smiled and said, "Take a look at my ultimate work of art… ART IS A BANG!" he excitedly exclaimed.

Using his Byakugan, Neji figured what he had planned and warned everyone to run for it. Deidara's body expanded to massive proportions. Like a bag of popcorn at its limit, Deidara exploded. It was too late for anyone to escape it. It quickly spread, but as quickly as it started, it stopped.

"Wha-… what's going on?" Gai questioned.

They all watched as the remains of the explosion appeared to be sucked into a small voided space. Naruto recognized it as Kakashi's doing and caught him as he collapsed. Some of the others had no idea of what happened…

"I sent both him and his explosion into another dimension," he explained.

With that crisis averted, they came to an open field to rest. While there, it was confirmed that Gaara was dead.

Naruto was broken up to actually hear it said. He knew it to be true but didn't want to believe it. It wasn't fair to him…

"Why… Why was it always Gaara…? To die like this…! When he just became the Kazekage…!"

Chiyo tried to calm Naruto down, but, "If you shinobi of the Sand hadn't put that monster in him, then this would've never happened!! Did any of you even care about Gaara or how he felt?!!"

Tears were streaming down his face, as was Yuuki. Sakura would be next as Naruto continued, "I couldn't save Sasuke and now I failed to save Gaara… I trained for three years and for what…? Nothing's changed…"

Naruto was wearing his emotions on his sleeve. He was angry and sad that he couldn't seem to do anything right other than to cause chaos. Yuuki was the same but she tried to assure her brother that he wasn't. That it wasn't his fault because he always protected her, but he couldn't protect everyone.

The two looked up to see a glow of chakra around Chiyo and Gaara. They were concerned with what she was up to now. She informed them that she was attempting to bring Gaara back to life. What she didn't tell them was that she was intending to exchange her life for his.

The light and chakra began to diminish but it didn't seem like Chiyo was trying to bring the jutsu to an end on purpose. Naruto and Yuuki could tell that she was at the end of her rope, chakra-wise, and offered some of theirs.

He wasn't sure if such a thing as bringing someone back from the dead was possible, but at this time he was up to try anything. "Can you really bring Gaara back with this… whatever it is?"

"I spent many years developing this for my grandson… but it is already a dream that cannot be realized. In exchange for using up the user's life, anything down to a lifeless puppet is granted life," she said.

Yuuki and the others were horrified by this. Naruto asked her, "Hey, old woman… are you sure you want to do this?"

After a brief moment of silence, she came back with, "I'm glad… that someone like you appeared in this shinobi world that we old stubborn people created… In the past, everything that I did was mistaken… but at the very end, it seems that I have been given a chance to do the right thing. The Leaf and Sand… their futures are differing from our past…"

"What're you-…?"

"What Kakashi said about your mysterious power…"

In a depressed tone, Naruto said, "My mysterious power… is a dangerous one…"

Unsure of what _he _was talking about, Chiyo clarified, "No, the power I'm talking about is one that can change the future… Your dream is to become Hokage…? Then become a Hokage unlike any before…" she told him with a smile.

Naruto nodded in agreement. She then moved on to Sakura after looking back at her from the corner of her eye, "And Sakura… don't risk your life for an old hag next time. Save that which is important to you," she wisely advised. "You are a lot like me… There aren't many women with chivalrous spirits matching those of men… You may become a kunoichi surpassing your own master…"

Sakura sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes as Chiyo continued with her last words, "Naruto… Yuuki… please accept this old hag's final request… You're ones who can fully understand Gaara's pain and he yours… help each other out. Be there for one another…"

Tears streamed down Yuuki's face as she was touched by her words. Naruto could feel the old woman's life slipping away as the jutsu came to an end. Yuuki couldn't feel this but she was saddened as the woman slipped away right in front of them. As she fell back into Sakura's awaiting arms, Gaara slowly sat up. Unaware of what was going on, he was awakened by a hand on his shoulder…

"…… Naruto…" he registered.

With a small smile on his face, Naruto greeted him, "Welcome back, Gaara… Everyone was worried about you and came to save you…!"

Gaara was shocked and amazed to see a scene that he could only dream of. He was surrounded by the happy, smiling faces of his fellow Sand shinobi. If he wasn't emotionless, he could have cried…

"You put us through a lot, ya know…!" Naruto chuckled.

"For sure," Kankuro exclaimed while making his way through the crowd. "You're one little brother I have to constantly worry about…"

"Hey, don't go getting all complacent! Gaara's still the Kazekage, so don't be so cheeky… you underlings," Temari corrected.

Naruto looked at her in disbelief. Was that the thanks he would receive for rescuing _her _little brother and the village's Kazekage? She wasn't the only one either. After being shoved aside by Temari, which was understandable because of their relationship, but two unknown kunoichi came up and pushed him out of the way to get to Gaara. Naruto couldn't stand this type of thing, not back in his academy days when Ino and Sakura would do it to get to Sasuke and definitely not now. Yuuki saw this and got into the girls' faces. She and the two began to argue back and forth about who was cooler, Naruto or the Kazekage. To keep them from stressing out an already exhausted Gaara, Temari tried her best to resolve the argument or at least quiet them down…

No longer wanting to reminisce of his lame academy days, Naruto gave a huff and decided to leave it alone. That's when Kankuro stepped in, "Don't let it get to you… women always seem to go for the cool, elite types."

"Yeah, it always seems that way," Naruto replied while glancing slightly at Sakura.

Out of nowhere, Kankuro thanked him for all he'd done for Gaara. Naruto appreciated it but pointed him in the direction of the true heroine of the day. Sadly, he informed him and anyone that could hear of her untimely death. She had sacrificed her life to the fullest to revive Gaara. Out of respect, there was a moment of silence for Chiyo…

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

The ground cracked and crumbled as something sprouted from it. Deidara poked his head from it saying that he couldn't believe the failure he had just experienced. At least he was able to get away alive however. Being armless was an inconvenience. He had to track down his arm and ring; otherwise he'd probably be put down like a lame horse.

Back in the destroyed former cave, the two-toned Akatsuki and a masked guy were investigating the scene…

"I found it Mr. Zetsu…!" the masked guy waved and pointed to Sasori's ring in his palm. "With this, I can become an Akatsuki too, right…? There _is _an opening now," he mentioned.

"Idiot…! It's not that simple…" one side of Zetsu said. "_We can let him in… Tobi's a good kid,_" the other stated.

With Sasori's ring repossessed, the two set out in search of any sign of Deidara. They found such a sign in the single arm laying about in a random field. Not long after, Deidara showed up to reclaim it and his ring.

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

Shizune stood before the Hokage and gave the report she received from the teams in the Sand Village. The report stated that the mission was successful in the retrieval of Gaara with the help and unfortunate loss of the elder Chiyo. Due to certain circumstances, they would remain in the Sand for the next three days.

"Um… Lady Tsunade…" Shizune hesitantly spoke up. "Although it worked well for this mission… was it really a good idea to send Naruto after the people who're targeting him…? Even though Kakashi, a former ANBU captain, was present… why would you take such a risk?"

Tsunade smiled and said, "Just that, because he is a host. The only one who can understand a host is another host… Furthermore… that boy has a mysterious power… Everyone starts to believe in him…"

_Later at the Sand Village… _

"Feel free to make yourselves at home," Temari courteously told them as she showed them to their rooms.

With Kakashi in a weakened state, Gai offered to bunk with him. This left it three boys and three girls with three rooms, each with two beds. Sakura became nervous that she could end up in the room with a boy…

_There's an uneven number of girls and boys so that means that a boy and girl could have to bunk together. What if I'm that girl…? What if I have to stay with Lee…? What if I end up with Naruto…? They've both had a crush on me… Being alone in a room with a boy…!" _

Before Sakura's imagination could run away with her, she was snapped back by Yuuki grabbing Naruto and pulling him into a room. TenTen was surprised by her boldness but let Sakura know that it would just be the two of them. They went to put their things in their room but a small cry of pain from Naruto caught Sakura's attention. She remembered that he had been stabbed during the fight with Sasori but she didn't get a chance to look at it.

She charged out of the room and into Naruto's. There she found Naruto hanging Yuuki by her tail while scolding her about being so aggressive with him. Sakura commanded him to drop Yuuki and he did. She then came right at him. She had a look in her eye and as she motioned at him, Naruto flinched. When he felt nothing, he opened his eyes to see Sakura untying his sash. He was embarrassed for a number of things. He had been expecting her to hit him for mistreating Yuuki, but he was most embarrassed that Sakura was undoing his sash in front of Yuuki, TenTen, Neji, and Lee.

"Wha-wha-wha-… what are you doing, Sakura?" he nervously asked.

"I'm tending to the wound you received from Sasori. I had completely forgotten about it so we have to treat it quickly or it could become infected," she responded.

He tried to explain to her that it wasn't necessary but she rapidly undressed him. She slipped off his black vest once she undid the sash and dropped it on the bed. It crashed on the bed and broke it down to the ground…

"Oh yeah," she said in a dopey tone. "I didn't think you'd be wearing weighted clothes," she said as she began pulling of the next article of clothing.

"You know that's gonna be your bed, right…?" Yuuki pointed out in ill-humor as her eyes narrowed. "Unless you want to share with me of course…" she gleefully turned.

"Crap…!" Naruto cursed as his shirt was pulled over his head.

This time Sakura gently placed it on the bed. She checked him for the point in which Sasori's blade had entered but found nothing but a fading scar. What else she found was Naruto's ripped abs that led to his chiseled chest and muscular arms. She unknowingly blushed as she took in the sight. She remembered that Naruto had always had a nice physique since the Chunin Exams, but he didn't look like this. Without his shirt, Naruto's rippling muscles made him look to be two to three times bigger than Sakura. She was captivated by this and couldn't seem to stop herself…

Naruto noticed her blushing and said, "Huh… Sakura, your face is red. Are you alright? You aren't sick are you?"

Everyone that had been looking on, but Lee, couldn't believe that even after two years of maturation, Naruto was still clueless.

"What…!? Oh…" she shook the thoughts from her head. "No, no… no, I'm perfectly fine," she nervously chuckled. "I… I was just… I was just surprised that… you don't seem to have anything but a single scratch," she stretched.

This wasn't a complete lie since she was astonished that he was perfectly fine. He informed her that although having the Kyuubi sealed within could be troublesome, it had its benefits, like rapid healing and a huge secondary chakra source.

_3 days & endless teasing of Sakura by TenTen later… _

The Leaf shinobi prepared to head home. They paid their last respects to the fallen elder and were ready to depart. They were escorted out of the village by Kankuro, Temari, and none other than the Kazekage himself…

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck before saying, "I guess that this is the part where you normally shake hands… but I've never been good with that kind of thing…"

He noticed that Gaara had his hand extended, waiting for his. Naruto could feel sand move across his hand as if it was telling him to go on. With smirk on his face, he lifted his hand and shook Gaara's.

"Heh… I guess this is until next time," he said as they released their grip.

They said their goodbyes and headed home…

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

Tsunade was finishing up some paperwork. Hinata was waiting patiently for her master to get done so that she could take it where it needed to go. Bored with what she was doing, Tsunade looked up to see Hinata staring back. To kill this boring atmosphere, Tsunade decided to have a little fun with her cute little apprentice…

"You know…" she started. "in a few short hours, you won't be so lonely…"

"Wha-… what do you mean?"

"Both teams that were sent to the Sand should be returning soon. You know about that, right…?" she said while monitoring Hinata's reaction.

Hinata instantly blushed as she nodded and asked what her master was getting at. Tsunade simply responded, "Once they return and get a little rest, you'll have Sakura helping you with the menial tasks and errands we have you run," she coyly stated.

Hinata's blush faded, but then…

"She can cover for you while you handle your own matters like your trip to the Sky Country or even… while you catch up with someone you haven't seen for, oh, let's say… two years," Tsunade playfully hinted.

Hinata's blush returned with a vengeance. Tsunade saw this and kept at it, "I can't believe that he's been back for a while now and the two of you still haven't bumped into one another. Before he was sent out, you flew out the window and he missed you by just a second…"

"I… I… I'm… not sure I'm ready… I want to see him, but… I wouldn't know what to say," she said gloomily.

"Just say 'hi' and go from there," Tsunade cheerfully coached.

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

Sakura, Neji, and TenTen entered the gate into the village. There they saw both Lee and Gai, slinging Kakashi around, while reenergizing each other. They looked over to see an exhausted Naruto, with Yuuki sitting on his back, sticking his tongue out and panting.

"… Hah… hah… hah…… I'm… so tired," he panted.

"Well of course you are… like an idiot, you put a bunch of weighted clothing on both you and your sister just to stupidly race Gai and Lee…!" Sakura stated irritated.

"It was for training," he huffed.

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

An older man with his right eye bandaged and his right arm covered made his way through a darkened underground area. His cane clicked on the ground until he sensed a presence and stopped…

"I've managed to pull a few strings and get you assigned to Team Kakashi," the man said as a pale young male in a black single long-sleeved halfshirt appeared before him. "Not only because you are around the same age as Naruto Uzumaki, but you are stronger than anyone else in your generation in the village… More than anything, your artistic mind is amazing. From today until the mission is complete, your name is Sai…"

"I am called… Sai…" the young man said while trying to smile.

"Don't use that fake smile in front of me," he commanded the youngster.

"I'm sorry," Sai apologized. "The manual said that the best way to appeal to someone is with a smiling face… I've practiced, but… I'm still unable to make these facial expressions…"

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

While the others delivered her sensei to his new hospital room, Sakura immediately reported to the Hokage. She reported to both her and Shizune the details of the mission and the extra information she received from Sasori. Tsunade thought of all the possibilities, risks, and consequences of investigating this…

"If it's a trap, then we'll just have to fight," Sakura seriously stated.

Tsunade wasn't so sure, "You say fight, but Kakashi won't be there. He's refined to that bed for at least a week and there are only six days left… I guess I'll just have to form a new team…"

Shizune tried to plead her case to the Hokage, "Lady Tsunade… you should send a different team to investigate. Even if Sakura is a part of that team… Naruto and Yuuki must be left out…!"

It pained her to say that, but she was just worried about Naruto and his sister's well-being. Tsunade could tell this and responded, "Like you Shizune, Sakura is one of few shinobi I can trust… I am definitely sending her team on this mission."

"Then wouldn't it be the same if I were sent with a team instead of them?" she tried to convince her.

"It's _**not**_ the same… Both Sakura and Naruto are desperately trying to get their old teammate to return. More than anyone, they strongly believe in rescuing Sasuke," she strongly stated. "Those strong feelings will lead the mission to succeed…! That is where you and Sakura are different."

Shizune could understand, but she still tried to argue for Naruto and Yuuki to be left out and to remain in the village for their own safety. Once again her request was declined. Her feelings were ignored and her worry began to grow…

"Don't worry about a thing Shizune," a voice called out. "We'll be fine…"

Shizune was shocked to look up to the roof to see Naruto and Yuuki smiling down at her. Tsunade asked Naruto what he thought of the situation and he offered to search for others to join the mission. He jumped onto the railing and flashed a quick smile back at the others before leaping away. Before he did, Shizune could have sworn that he had thanked her as he jumped from the railing…

"Bah…! That kid's always rushing…! I hadn't even finished talking. I'll find members to fill the gaps left by Kakashi and maybe Sasuke. Find Naruto and tell him," Tsunade commanded Sakura. "There's someone I'd like to add to this mission, but I'll have to see if I can convince her first," she said with a wicked smile.

As she turned to leave, she was called over by an elder member of the council. She and another member sat down with her to have a little "chat" with her. They informed her that upon recent consultation with Shizune, they would like for Naruto and Yuuki to remain in the village, guarded. Tsunade looked at Shizune with anger flaring in her eyes. Shizune quickly avoided eye contact to keep from incurring her master's wrath any further.

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

Naruto and Yuuki landed on a fence and noticed someone odd standing by a tree. Chills instantly went down her spine as Yuuki was weirded out by the mere presence of this guy. She didn't even want to get near him.

Something about this weirdo seemed familiar, but Naruto couldn't quite put his finger on it. He jumped down to get a closer look. He looked at the guy hoping that something would trigger his memory but couldn't get past his dark shades and big coat. He even had the lower half of his face covered, rendering any attempt to place him obsolete.

Giving up on the guessing games, Naruto just asked, "Who _are _you?"

The mystery guy responded, "It's been a while, Naruto…"

Naruto was still confused. The guy seemed to know him but he couldn't discern him in the least. Frustrated that he still hadn't been recognized and greeted in a friendly manner, the mystery shinobi relented and told Naruto, "It's me…! Just because it's been a long time since we met, you should at least recognize the face of a comrade…"

"BUT I _CAN'T _RECOGNIZE YOUR FACE SINCE YOU'VE GOT IT ALL COVERED UP!!" Naruto exploded. Then it dawned on him, "Wait…! That weird way of speaking… You're… Shino…!" he concluded.

"You got it at last," Shino confirmed with hurt pride.

From a distance Yuuki had heard that it was Shino and remembered how he creeped her out even two years ago. "No wonder I feel so uneasy," she stated.

"The guy isn't that bad," another voice said.

"_This smell…! It's…" _she turned to see, "Dog-breath…! I had the feeling that the smell of wet dog was you… and you brought your cute doggy along with you," she exclaimed as she jumped down and petted Akamaru.

Annoyed at the insult, Kiba replied, "We _just _met again after two years and this is the way you…"

He stopped as Yuuki stood back up and brushed her hair behind one of her ears. Kiba's jaw dropped as he took in the sight of this beautiful young lady before him…

"How the hell did you end up this pretty…!? It just isn't right that someone with your messed up personality is this hot!!"

She gave him a sensual look before saying, "Aw… I'm sorry about all the times I mistreated you and called you names, but I was just a dumb kid then. You know how kids are at that age when they don't know how to express their true feelings to someone," she sweetly claimed as she slowly shifted into a position that better showed her full curves.

Kiba's jaw dropped again as drool began to overflow from it. He couldn't believe his luck. She claimed that she wanted to make her feelings for him completely clear. He couldn't believe his luck…

She slowly slid her fingers from behind her ear and down her neck to her bosom and pleasantly said, "I'm glad to see that you're attracted to me," she teased before continuing, "because… A LOSER IDIOT LIKE YOU WILL NEVER GET A GIRL LIKE ME!!" she wickedly grinned.

Kiba was taken aback. She continued, "As if I would fall for a guy like you. You aren't man or beast enough for me… Cute little Akamaru has a better chance with me than you do!" she harshly stated.

Akamaru gave his approval with a nice big bark. Upset, Kiba retorted, "Yeah, of course bestiality is right up your alley, isn't it…?"

A bit appalled at his statement, Yuuki came back with, "You're just mad because I'd rather be with every animal on the planet before I end up with you."

Naruto and Shino had heard the two bickering and came over to investigate. "Let me guess… she teased you and shot you down all in one go, right?" Naruto said. "That's sort of her thing. She seems to like the attention so she'll tease anyone for fun. My grandpa said that she was a real vixen."

"Tell me about…!" Kiba glowered while Yuuki playfully stuck out her tongue and petted Akamaru once more.

"Is that…?" Naruto pointed at the big dog Kiba was riding.

"Yep! It's Akamaru alright!" Kiba proudly announced.

"He's gotten so _big_," Naruto pointed out.

"Really…? I've spent so much time with him that I hadn't noticed."

"I knew you were an idiot," Yuuki mumbled.

"Anyway…" Kiba grunted. "Man, you've really grown yourself. You're even a little wider than me…"

"I bet that's because his muscles are bigger than yours. It makes sense since you're still such a scrawny pup," Yuuki teased with a big grin on her face.

Trying to ignore this comment, Kiba went on, "When I caught your scent, I didn't expect you to have grown _this _much!"

"You… recognized me by my scent…?" Naruto questioned.

"Yeah, but I was almost turned back by the wretched stench of this one over here," he pinched his nose while pointing at Yuuki.

Yuuki scrunched up her face and retaliated, "How can you say I stink when I smell better than my brother, unless…" she analyzed the appearance of the leather jacket wearing beast-boy and proclaimed, "Naruto… you should watch out for this one. I think he has a thing for you," she giggled.

"HEY…!!" Kiba shouted.

A drop of sweat fell down the back of Naruto's head as the two were at it again. His attention was grabbed by a moping Shino saying, "You recognized Kiba right away, Naruto."

Once the situation and the tempers died down, Naruto informed them of the upcoming mission and asked if either of them would participate. They declined since they had to leave soon. Naruto was bummed out so he and Yuuki left to hopefully find others that could help.

Shortly after, Kiba picked up on a familiar scent as Shino noticed someone peeking their head from behind the fence. She searched the area before stepping into sight. She wore a long, white form-fitting robe with lavender trim. It was Hinata sporting a huge blush as she, and her father and younger sister, made their way over to her teammates.

"Hey, Hinata," Kiba cheerfully greeted. "You just missed…"

"I know…" she stated.

"How did you…? Oh, right… a premonition. It seems like you're getting better with them… So, what did you see?"

"Well… I was supposed to come running because I was afraid that we'd be late but I was surprised by Naruto being here and hid around the corner. He overheard me and came to check out the noise… When he did, I… I fainted," she embarrassingly explained.

Hearing this made Kiba's day as he burst into laughter. Hiashi's reaction was completely different however, "Really now… no daughter of mine should be so timid in front of anyone… much less one that isn't even fit to be in her presence," he scolded.

Hanabi wore black baggy pants that stopped halfway to her ankles. She had an open short-sleeved hooded jacket over a black tank top. She felt bad for her sister, but something was bothering her. "Sister… why would you be so nervous about seeing this boy. If I remember correctly, the two of you were once good friends…"

Hanabi was right, but, "I… I don't know what to do," Hinata shyly stated. "I haven't seen him in so long, and… I don't know what to say to him…"

"Why don't you just say 'hi'…?" Hinata had heard someone say.

She looked at Kiba but he was just standing there snickering. She then looked at Shino but maybe it was her father.

"It's been a long time, Hinata…"

She trembled as she realized that it was neither of them. She continued to tremble as she noticed her father looking past her. She turned and there stood…

"Na-… Na-… Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-… Na… ru… to," she stuttered as her eyes widened.

He smiled big as only he could and said, "So, how've you been, _princess_…"

With a blank look on her red face, Hinata began to fall backwards…

"Hinata…!" Hiashi shouted.

"Sister…!"

She fell back but was caught in the arms of Naruto. He swept her off of her weak legs and into his strong arms, bridal style…

"Hey…! Hey…! Hinata…! Are you alright?" Naruto questioned. "What's wrong with her?!"

Kiba shouted, "Now isn't the time to faint Hinata!"

She began blinking her eyes as she regained consciousness. She lifted her head and was now inches away from Naruto's face. She stared into his big blue eyes for a moment before hers bugged out and she fainted again.

"Aw man… she's been fainting around Naruto a lot lately," Kiba commented.

"Wake up Hinata…! HINATA…!!"

"You recognized Hinata right away too, Naruto," Shino complained.

_Minutes later… _

"Aw man…! So you guys really can't help me out…" Naruto said depressed.

He was about to leave but noticed Hinata shuffling around as she came to. She could hear Naruto speaking and realized that she must have fainted once again. She wouldn't allow herself to do it again. She figured that the best thing to do would be to take everything in a bit at a time.

She started at his feet and started up as he walked over to her. She looked at his white pants up to his blue shirt. She got up to his neck but found it hard to look up any further. She was unexpectedly taken by surprise as Naruto squatted down to eye level and curiously looked her in the face.

"Na… ruto," she weakly said.

She blushed and could feel herself slipping out of consciousness again. She shook her head and managed to stave it off. She looked at Naruto as he looked genuinely worried about her.

"Are you alright? Can you stand?" he asked.

"S-sure…"

He offered his hand and she hesitantly took it. She stood to her feet and noticed the height difference. She also noticed how handsome he really had become.

"Hinata… I need you to hear me out," Naruto said seriously.

"O-ok…"

"I really want you to go with me!"

Hinata was confused, "……… Wha-… wha-what…?" she nervously and shakily responded.

She wasn't sure, but she thought that he was asking her out. Was she mistaken? She knew that Naruto was bold, but would he really do it in front of everyone and _her father_?

"Hinata, I really need you!"

Her blush grew as she was pleasantly surprised to hear these words come from his mouth…

"We've got a mission coming up and we need another member," he cleared.

Hinata's happy expression changed to one of confusion, "…… Huh?"

Naruto completely explained the situation and cleared up the confusion. Even though she really wanted to help him, even if it meant skipping her important clan meeting, she reluctantly declined. He seemed just as upset by this as she did as she told him that this meeting would decide the future of her clan in the Sky Country.

"Well… maybe next time," Naruto dismissed. "Oh, and princess… I probably don't have a right to say this but… I hope to see you soon."

He left after saying it so he didn't get to see her reaction. She blushed profusely as he leapt away while she just stared off into space. Her team snapped her out of it as Naruto met up with Yuuki. The two then watched as the team left.

"Dammit…! That Hinata…! After just two years, she came back and beat me," Yuuki pouted.

Naruto had no idea of what she was talking about but realized what it was when he turned to see her cupping her breasts. He sighed and looked away.

"Wow…! Who is _That _beautiful lady? Another one of yours, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked, appearing behind them with binoculars.

"That's Hinata," Naruto answered. "She-… Wait a minute… What are _you _doing here?! I thought you were supposed to be out _'gathering information'_! Or what, did you get shot down again or something…?"

"What do you mean...!? You're supposed to happy to see your wonderful grandpa! Another thing, I'm the 'Great Jiraiya', I don't get shot down!"

"Whatever, ya old perv…"

For an uncomfortable moment, the two exchanged angry looks…

"_So~o_… What did you think?" Yuuki pried.

"About what…?" Naruto asked.

"About Hinata… She's grown to be very pretty, don't you think?"

"Oh, is that so…? I didn't really notice,"

"Wha-…!? That's such a lie!"

"She's right…! How can you call yourself a man if you didn't take notice of a girl like that with nice luscious lips, mwaah, big ones out to here, and curvy curves like this…!?" he exclaimed while descriptively motioning to get his point across. "I bet that even if she weren't wearing such tight and clingy clothes you could still tell that she had a smokin' body!"

Naruto began staring daggers at the old perv...

With a giant bead of sweat rolling down the back of her head, Yuuki said, "I wouldn't put it that way, but grandpa's right. She's just as pretty as those random girls and princesses that we ran across during our travels…! Plus, I saw your tails wagging, both of them like you had no control over them. I happen to know that you tend to only do that when-…"

"Just what are you getting at?" Naruto questioned in an aggravated tone.

"Which one do you prefer, big sister Sakura or 'Princess' Hinata?"

"…… Why does that even matter to you?" Naruto coldly questioned.

"Because I wouldn't mind having either for a big sister. They both have their good qualities, and if I can't be with you… I want to make sure that you're happy with the one that's right for you, unlike those girls that seemed to like you after you saved their lives."

"Why…? Do you want me to be with a certain one?"

"Well-…"

"I have an idea," Jiraiya interrupted. "If you analyze the good qualities of both girls then you'll come to the conclusion…… that you should be with both of them," he creepily and pervertedly responded.

Yuuki quickly grabbed him by his tail and caused him to seize up. He lost his strength and fell off the fence.

"Yuu… why do you call Sakura sister? Is it the same when you were trying to get closer to me?" Naruto was curious.

"Oh come on… a girl's got her reasons," she teased.

Jiraiya climbed back up the fence just to say, "You always like to tease men, but you don't seem to take any interest in them. Could it be…? Don't tell me that you like the whole 'sister fantasy' and want Sakura for yourself…! That's interesting! It would make a great addition for my book…!"

Frustrated, she kicked the grand pervert in the face and back down to the ground. "WRONG…!! The only one I have eyes for is my big brother!"

**A/N: "Brother Complex"… **

A big drop of sweat formed on the back of Naruto's head. He couldn't believe that he was related to these two. Feeling the need to elaborate, Yuuki explained herself, "I've been around guys my whole life, so of course I love the idea of being around another girl. I call Sakura 'big sis' because that's how she is. That's how we are… Since I met her, and especially since we returned, she's always been like an older sister looking after the two of us. Worrying about us, carrying about us… she even goes out of her way to set us straight on occasion. That's why… I think of her as the big sister I never had!" she sincerely and happily expressed.

"_Sister, huh…?" _Naruto quietly said to himself.

Her confession brought up familiar feelings and memories in Naruto. Solemnly, he turned to leave, "Grandpa… we'll see you later. For now, we have to find another member for our team. We've got an important mission to do!" he said with passion and fire in his eyes.

"Heh… Fine… do what you have to do… but Naruto… if anything comes up… find me, no matter where I am."

Naruto nodded in agreement and he and his sister were off. They left their grandpa alone to think to himself, _"That kid… he's become so determined that nothing will stand in his way… not even the Kyuubi itself…" _

_**xxxxxxxxxx**  
_

"So what will we do, big brother? Hinata and the others couldn't help because they had other things to do," Yuuki stated.

"We'll just have to try someone else, and if they say no we'll keep searching until there's no one left."

"That's gonna take a lot of effort… Too bad grandpa can't help us out. At least that'd be helpful."

"Gramps has got his own things to see to. Besides, we no longer need him to babysit us. As long as we're together, we can handle anything," he assured her.

The two easily found Shikamaru and explained the situation to him. Unfortunately, he too was busy. He had to sort the entrants for the upcoming Chunin Exam. He wanted to help his "sort of" friend, but he had other responsibilities. That seemed to always be the case lately. Since their return, it seemed that everyone else always had extra things to do and had very little or no time to spare just to hang-out.

"I'm free… If you need something, I can help out."

Although they heard the voice, the smell of food is what really attracted their attention. They turned to see Chouji with a boxed lunch coming their way.

Shikamaru was sure that Chouji had other things to do, "Chouji, you sure you can say something like that? Don't you have a mission with Asuma sensei and Ino?" Shikamaru reminded him.

Chouji tried to talk his way out of it but Shikamaru reminded him that he couldn't just leave Asuma and Ino high and dry. If he were to help Naruto, then his team would be short a member.

While this was going on, they were being watched. Sai opened an empty scroll and grabbed a paintbrush and ink. He dipped the brush in the ink and began drawing on the scroll.

Chouji saw something barreling its way towards him and his friends. He activated his "Partial Expansion" jutsu on his fist. The other three quickly reacted. They cleared the way for Chouji's big fat fist to splatter the creature that tried to pounce on them. They soon found themselves surrounded by a group of beasts similar to the first.

Naruto pointed out the guy responsible and mentioned that he was wearing a Leaf headband. Shikamaru tried to immediately capture him with his shadow but couldn't due to the distance. The mystery shinobi created more beasts and had them charge…

"Heh… I guess he wants to fight. Looks like we have no choice," Naruto stated as he summoned his swords.

He unsheathed them and he and his comrades prepared to take this guy down. Four of the beasts surrounded them jumped at them but were easily cut down by Naruto. Another went for Naruto but was dismissed by Yuuki as she rolled over her brother's back. The two were in perfect sync as they eliminated beast after beast. Shikamaru signaled them to go for the guy on the roof and he would provide cover.

Shikamaru was surprised at how fast they exploded from where they had been standing to nearly halfway there already. If he was going to be true to his word, Shikamaru would have to get a move on. His shadow raced down the street and branched to pierce multiple targets along the way. He managed to stop the beasts that had surrounded them.

As they neared him, the shinobi on the roof unleashed more beasts from his scroll. This time it was Yuuki's turn. She jumped on her brother's shoulder and launched herself at the beasts. She rapidly spun through the air and the beasts. Naruto took this opportunity to finally close in on the attacker.

The mystery shinobi pulled a short blade and swung at Naruto. Using one of his swords, Naruto blocked the attack easily and asked, "Who the **hell **are you…?!"

The assailant answered with a fake smile, "You're not as impressive as I was led to believe… What _do _you have between your legs…?"

This provoked Naruto. While blocking with one sword, he readied to strike with the other three. "Before I kill you, I'll give you one last chance to tell me who you are," he coldly said.

Noticing a shadow creeping up on him, the mystery shinobi jumped back and retreated. The situation began to slowly return to normal, but those remaining couldn't help but ask who was the guy that had the nerve to attack them out of the blue, and why did he seem so interested in Naruto?

Before they could even have a hope of piecing things together, Ino showed up looking for Chouji…

"Sorry Ino, we were attacked by some weird guy," Chouji told her.

She looked to see if this weird guy was still around and asked if he was talking about Naruto…

"Hey…! That's my brother you're talking about…!" Yuuki returned.

Ino was amazed to see such a cute girl walking towards her. The girl had a style that seemed to perfectly fit her. Ino was impressed and wanted to know more, maybe even become friends with this new bombshell.

"Who… are you?"

"Huh…? Ino, it's me, Naruto's little sister… Yuuki…"

Ino recognized the name and thought back. She finally placed a face to the name. The face she remembered was cute but her clothes. Back then, she was such a tomboy, but now she'd blossomed into a beautiful young woman. When it really dawned on her, she couldn't believe it.

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

"Unacceptable!" Tsunade disagreed.

She was still in a meeting with the elder advisors. They tried desperately to convince her to restrain Naruto and Yuuki's movements. They didn't want them to be allowed to leave the village if at all necessary and have them under constant supervision.

"I'm all for a 4-man team, but such restrictions shouldn't be placed on them. The both of them are more than weapons that can be used at the village's discretion. Also, they seem to be more than capable of taking care of themselves," she differed. "Even if we could somehow keep either one of them in the village, it won't stop Akatsuki's pursuit of them. It could just end in a similar situation to that of the Sand. If that were to happen, the Leaf would be placed in danger. At least if they're on the move, the Akatsuki would have a harder time finding them… Naruto has always had a special ability. He will grow more powerful and I'm sure Yuuki is no different," she informed.

"You're being flippant, Tsunade. Speak like a Hokage! Can you truly guarantee that Naruto or his sister will not be taken by Akatsuki?! If they gain the Kyuubi, they will become an even greater threat to the Leaf Village. Can you guarantee that this will not happen?"

"Heh… 'O ye of little faith'… Neither will be taken! I believe that."

They questioned her faith and she answered, "If I am mistaken and the Leaf Village or the Fire Country is placed in danger… as the 5th Hokage, I will put my life on the line to save it!"

She seemed to have gotten her point across as the advisors were momentarily speechless, and that was saying something. They were willing to let her do as she pleased as long as they were allowed to pick a member for Naruto's 4-man team. She had no choice but to agree, even though she had the feeling that she was being set up. This feeling was confirmed when Danzou, the old warmonger of the village, was invited to the meeting. The old man shuffled in and greeted Tsunade. If it was him, she knew that the new member selected would be from his own personal ANBU, "ROOT"…

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

Naruto and Yuuki still had not found anyone when Sakura ran up to them. She informed them that the empty slots had been filled.

"Spots…?" Naruto questioned.

With a sad look on her face, Sakura informed them that Yuuki wouldn't be allowed to go on the next mission. It was just a precaution.

"Who took her place?"

Sakura led them to where she was told to meet up. Once they got there, they met their new team captain, Yamato, and…

"YOU…!!" the twins shouted and readied to fight.

"Wait a minute… we're teammates now. This guy included," Yamato said pointing to Naruto's mystery attacker.

"Hiya… I'm Sai. I'm sorry about before. I just wanted to gauge the ability of my new team member," he stated with a smile. Still smiling he said, "I just didn't know how much I would have to look after the little prick with no balls."

"WHAT'D YOU SAY ABOUT MY BROTHER, YOU BASTARD!!?" Yuuki fumed while Sakura struggled to hold her back.

"Yuuki, you can't just beat the guy up… Even though he isn't very nice, he's our new teammate, so cool down," Sakura tried to calm her down.

"It's nice to know that there's someone I might like on this time, a nice old crone," Sai had the nerve to say.

This time it was Sakura being held back. Naruto had her in a "Full Nelson" while holding Yuuki by the tail.

With the commotion and some of the hostility ended at the moment, Yamato decided that it would be a good idea to carry out formal introductions. He began, "I'm Yamato, and I'll be taking the place of Kakashi as team captain. You can refer to me as 'Captain' or 'Captain Yamato'."

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki," he said unenthusiastically.

"I'm Sakura Haruno," she still showed signs of agitation.

"I'm Sai," he cheerfully said.

"Hi, Sai…!" Yuuki said fully of false enthusiasm. "I'm Yuuki Uzumaki, and I just wanted to let you know that you'll be in my brother and big sister's care. The thing about them is that they're a lot stronger than they look. Get my drift…?" she said darkly.

"Ahem…" Yamato cleared his throat. "Well, now that we've all gotten 'acquainted', I'll explain our mission. From here, the four of us will proceed to the Tenchi Bridge. There, we will intercept and capture the Akatsuki spy in Orochimaru's organization. This is a chance for us to get information on the whereabouts of Orochimaru and Sasuke Uchiha. We may gain valuable information that could lead to the formulation of plan to assassinate Orochimaru and take back Sasuke. So keep focused! We will assemble at the village's front gate in one hour. After sorting out equipment, we will depart!"

After their meeting, Sakura and the twins were taking their time and talking about the recent changes to their team…

"That asshole, Sai," Naruto fumed. "Just who the hell does he think he is…!? There's no way I'll simply accept someone like that… especially if they think that they're just gonna come in and completely replace Sasuke…!"

"So~… you don't think that he'd be a good part of the team, aside from how vulgar he is?" Sakura asked.

"There's no doubt…! Back when Sasuke was here, the two of us didn't get along very well other than when we were on the battlefield together. I could probably make it work with that guy, but it just isn't the same. To me, Sasuke's way better!"

"I agree," Sakura smiled. "Sasuke's much cooler."

"You may think so, but no ones cooler than my brother," Yuuki jumped in.

After a brief chuckle, the three headed to the Hokage Tower. Before leaving to collect her things, Sakura informed the Hokage of the first meeting of the new team. A brief interruption from Danzou to confirm the status of the captain leading Naruto's team and Sakura left to gather her things.

The "new" Team Kakashi then met at the gate at the designated time and was ready to depart. Before they could however, there was something that Naruto had to handle.

"Turn back, Yuuki… You aren't supposed to leave the village. Those were the arrangements and we gave Granny Tsunade our word that we'd follow it," Naruto spoke up.

Yuuki poked her head from behind a post with her cheeks inflated. Upset, she said, "Brother, you idiot…! If you hadn't said anything I could've followed you out of the village and you'd be the only one to know I was there. I could've helped you if you needed it and you could've kept an eye on me."

Naruto dismissed her reasons with his, "If I was the only one that knew you were out there with us, that could've just been more troublesome. If something happened to you while you were in hiding, there'd be no guarantee that I could help you. Besides, you already know that I can keep tabs on you no matter where you are, so it's best that you stay in the village."

What Naruto had said intrigued Yamato, but he didn't say anything…

"But…!"

"I know you're worried about me, but what happened to the confidence you had in me earlier. You know I'm strong, so you really don't have to worry," he assured his little sister.

She let out a few tears but she let him know that she understood and would return to the tower. Naruto watched as she left, only to turn back to see her brother one more time. Team Kakashi was now ready to go…

* * *

**End of chapter… **

Gaara is saved and a "new" Team Kakashi is formed with the addition of Yamato and Sai…

The new team tries their best to get along long enough to complete their mission…

Next chapter: Team Kakashi…


	4. Team Kakashi

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap:**

Gaara is saved from the clutches of Akatsuki, but not without sacrifice. Chiyo gives her life in hopes of leaving the future of the Shinobi world in the hands of Naruto and other up and coming ninja. Their mission complete, Naruto returns home with aspirations of finally going after Sasuke. With a new team formed, can he finally do it?

* * *

**Team Kakashi**

While making their way to their destination, Sai noticed Naruto glancing over at him. "Please don't stare at me. I wouldn't want to have to hit you," Sai divulged.

"Every damn thing you say pisses me off!!" Naruto growled. "Why the hell are you here?! All you do is piss people off!!"

Yamato tried to get him to calm down. The meaning of being on a team was teamwork and cooperation. He wanted to get to the bottom of Naruto's problem with Sai. Naruto let them know that he _wasn't _a member of the team. He was nothing more than a space filler.

With a smile that said he didn't care, Sai said, "I'm glad you think that way, because… I wouldn't want to be likened to the weak shit-for-brains, Orochimaru clone who only cared about power and ran off betraying the Leaf Village for it," he pointed out.

Naruto's face twitched as he tried to keep his temper under control. This proved difficult as he really had the urge to take his wrath out on something, or someone for that matter. Sakura jumped in front of him to stop a terrible scene.

"The most important thing is teamwork," Sakura said. "Sai… Naruto… since he doesn't know you very well… he just said too much. I'm sorry… Please forgive Naruto… "

Sai agreed to let it go and Yamato was pleased that someone got what he was saying. That wouldn't last long however. Both he and Naruto were awestruck when Sakura punched him. Sai slid across the ground for a few feet…

"What was that about? You talk about forgiveness, but then you sucker me with a sweet expression before punching me…"

"I said that I wanted you to forgive Naruto… I don't care if you forgive me. I don't care if you hate me now or how you talk about me… but don't ever let me hear you talking badly about Sasuke again! If you make that mistake, I guarantee you… you won't live to make it again!"

Cheerfully, Sai chuckled, "Hehehe… Gotcha… I won't say anything in front of you… But to think that you could use a fake smile in that way… I'll have to remember that."

"You idiot… you were just hit, why are you acting so cheerful?"

Sai answered, "A smile's the best way to get out of trouble, even if it's fake. Amazingly, it fools everyone… I read that in a book. It doesn't seem like it works very well though."

Yamato clasped his hands together and created a wooden cage around the three feuding shinobi. "If you guys want to fight, then you can do it all you want in this cage. We don't have time, but if you don't mind missing this opportunity to get Sasuke, then by all means fight to your hearts' content."

Sakura was surprised at the type of jutsu her new captain had just used. It was the wood element type that only the 1st Hokage was said to possess. Sai was emotionless as usual, but Naruto…

"If you really feel that way, then I'm alright with a little fight. It won't take long…"

Sakura tried to talk him out of it but Yamato decided to give it a try, "As the mediator here, here's my position… You can spend a day in the cage, or we can go to a hotel that has hot springs. What'll it be?" Then with an eerie face and tone, "You guys don't really know me that well either… I like being nice and friendly, but… I don't have any problems with ruling by fear either…"

Before they knew it, they had been dragged to a nice hotel with relaxing hot springs. Or at least it was supposed to be. As they sat in the hot springs, tension was still present, but that might have been due to Yamato's constant attempts at intimidation with his weird glare.

"If you're gonna keep doing that, then I'm gonna go ahead and get out," Naruto said standing up.

Sai kept his sight eye-level and said, "Oh… so you do have one…"

Naruto heard him and turned to see him looking directly at his…

"YOU BASTARD…!! FROM THE MOMENT I MET YOU, YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT NOTHING BUT PENISES…!! WHY'RE YOU ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT THAT?!! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME YOU PENIS-LOVING WEIRDO PERV!!!"

On the other side in the women's hot spring, Sakura was _so_ embarrassed by Naruto's extremely loud outburst. The other women didn't feel the same. They began to laugh at this comical comment coming from the guys' side. Was he _trying_ to get the attention of everyone?

Naruto could hear the cute giggles, and nice sounding cackles, and lovely laughs of the women next door. Thanks to being around his master, Naruto could tell just from the sound of their laughs that there were quite a few cute ladies on the other side. At least, that's how it always seemed when he was with Jiraiya. He on the other hand couldn't be sure. He convinced himself that he would just be confirming his curiosity and began sloshing over to the divider.

"I'm done for now," Yamato said. "but first, Naruto… there's something interesting I'd like to tell you… When Master Jiraiya was young, he came very close to dying once… Six ribs and both arms were broken, and many internal organs were ruptured… It seemed that the cause of it… was the Lady Hokage's superhuman strength… What he did was exactly what you're thinking of doing this moment… How do you think Sakura would react…?" he warned.

"_Crap…! I forgot Sakura was over there. If she even had an inkling that I was trying to peek into the women's bath, she'd see to it that I died in the most horrible way," _Naruto reconsidered.

While Naruto and Sai tried to continue enjoying the water, Yamato took special _"precautions"_. He slipped something into Sai's clothes and later something into the food of his cohorts…

_Next day… _

Morning came and Sakura awoke. She stretched to loosen herself before getting up. She tidied the room and when she was done, she noticed Sai through the window. Curious as to what he was doing, she made her way over to him. As she got closer, she could see him with a pad.

"Drawing a picture…?" she concluded.

"What is it?" he asked in suspicion.

"You're pretty mean, but you have a nice side too, right? That's unexpected," she smiled.

"Using a fake smile again… Do you plan on hitting me again?"

"Why, do you want me to?" she teased. "Nah, but really… I was just curious. I wanted to see what you were drawing. I expected it to be of the landscape since you were out here, but it's abstract, isn't it…? What's it called?"

Sai had no idea. "You haven't decided on a name yet?" she asked.

"No, that's not it… I've drawn hundreds, maybe thousands of pictures… none of them have titles.

"But don't pictures usually have titles…? Like portraits have the person's name… Other pictures have the situation at the time, or the artist's feelings…"

Sai stopped to say, "To be precise, even if I try to give them titles, I just can't do it. They don't make me feel anything," he informed her.

"So that must be why you say such insensitive things to everyone," Naruto interrupted. "Captain Yamato told me to come get you," he told them as he came closer. He looked at Sai's picture and said, "You shouldn't be so nice to this guy, Sakura. His picture isn't that great."

With a smile, Sai retorted, "That's sounds about right… just like your penis."

Sakura tried to keep from laughing, but only managed to stifle it. Naruto heard it and became greatly irritated, "THERE YOU GO AGAIN WITH TALKING ABOUT PENISES…! WHY ARE YOU SO OBSESSED WITH IT?! HOW THE HELL WERE YOU RAISED?! YOU DON'T HEAR ME SAYING STUPID STUFF LIKE THAT ABOUT YOU AND YOURS, DO YOU!?"

Sai didn't say anything. He just ignored Naruto. "I really can't stand you!! If you have something to say to me, then out with it!! Quit the fake smiling crap and tell me to my face! If it's a fight you want, then all you have to do is say the word and…!"

"That's not it at all," Sai quieted Naruto. "I really don't think anything of you."

Naruto balled up his fist, gritted his teeth, but held himself back. He scoffed and walked away. Sai told Sakura that she could go on as well since he had to clean up his stuff. Instead, she decided to give him a hand. The first thing she picked up was a picture book.

"You drew this too, right? Do you think I could take a look at it?" she asked.

"You can't," he denied. "It's still incomplete, and I don't let other people see it… because it's my brother's."

Naruto's ear twitched as he overheard Sakura and Sai's conversation. He continued back to the captain with Sakura and Sai not far behind. They spent the entire day making their way to their destination but still didn't arrive by nightfall. Once again, Yamato amazed Sakura when out of nowhere he created a wooden building and stated that they would use it to camp.

They entered and prepared to turn in for the night. Yamato called them all over to discuss Sasori and the plan of action.

"The Akatsuki spy in Orochimaru's ranks will be expecting Sasori. He may see through it right away, but it's best to approach him in Sasori's form," Yamato clarified. "Just in case this is an Akatsuki trap, I'll go ahead alone first. The rest of you will be on standby and wait for my signal."

"Whoever this spy is, he's sure to be on his guard and will most likely be someone formidable," Sai added.

"Our objective is purely capture. No matter how tough the target or time they give you, you are not to kill them. If they are terminated, we will have lost a valuable source of information on both the Akatsuki and Orochimaru. This mission more difficult than simply defeating the enemy. Given that it's a target mission, I'll go in first and you'll act as my backup," he ordered. "The strategy is simple… First, I will restrain the target. Second, if I fail to restrain them and we have to fight, I'll give you the signal. And if we reach a situation as in the second part, then we must fight using the buddy system. When one person moves, the other will look after them. The principle of the system is mutual support. Now to decide the buddies… Naruto… Sai… you'll be one and Sakura and I will be the other."

"You're doing this on purpose, right? To try to get us to get along better by working together, right? Why the hell do I have to be partnered up with him?" Naruto asked agitated at the sight of Sai.

"I have my reasons," Yamato stated. "Sakura is our only Medical ninja. So that she is not injured, I shall be with her."

"But wouldn't it be better for me and her to be partnered up. We've been on the same team since the beginning and we work well together. If it's keeping her safe, I can do that and fight at the same time," Naruto mentioned.

"I already know that, and I don't doubt your ability, but I just think that this would be better. I know of your clan and how you love a good fight. In some cases you may even handicap yourself to make it more interesting," Yamato revealed. "Just think of it this way…"

Naruto didn't say anything. Seemingly accepting it, Yamato went on to say, "Keeping all that I've said in mind, this isn't exactly normal, but… tomorrow we will spend half the day on a simulation for team playing. I know nothing of any of you other than what is in your files. I'd like to know about things like fighting methods, battle skills, and jutsus… Through getting to know one another, we'll smoothen our teamwork. You might think I'm being too serious, but that's the way I do things… So put your all into it."

_Next day… _

Yamato was running through the forest as Naruto and Sai trailed him. Naruto remembered his first encounter with Sai and came to the conclusion, "You use some kind of jutsu to attack instead of getting yourself physically involved. Are you not that good at taijutsu, or is it just your preferred style?"

Sai didn't say anything so Naruto went on, "If that's the case, then leave everything to me. You'll be my support."

He created a shadow clone. Seeing one of them transform into a mirror image of himself, Sai took to the shadows. Yamato continued through the forest, now with Naruto and Sai in hot pursuit. Suddenly, he turned to face them…

Naruto and Sai didn't stop for a second. They charged right for him with kicks and punches. Naruto came in first with a flying kick which Yamato sidestepped. He then kicked him in the back. Next was Sai throwing a punch but was shoved aside. Naruto tried a high roundhouse kick followed by a back kick but Yamato ducked. He went to shove him back as well but was on the receiving end of a "monkey flip" courtesy of Naruto.

Yamato landed on his feet and turned to see Sai attacking. He threw a punch, and then a kick, and then a back kick. Yamato avoided the punch, avoided the kick, and caught Sai by the leg. He swept his foot from underneath him and prepared to kick him while he was down. He couldn't however as Naruto landed a flying kick that knocked him back. Sai tripped him and Yamato fell to the ground.

While he was getting up, the two formed a Rasengan in Sai's hand and he tried to use it at the first chance. He was immediately stopped and disabled by wood sprouting from the ground. It was then revealed that this was Naruto. The other jumped over and tackled Yamato.

"Ninja Art: Great Beast, False Image," Sai said as he activated his jutsu from behind a tree.

A snake he had drawn came to life from his scroll and slithered over to Naruto and Yamato and wrapped itself around them.

"What…!? Why both of us?" Naruto asked as he was wrapped up.

Sai then noticed something and ran off. "HEY, SAI… WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! GET THIS OFF OF ME!!" Naruto screamed.

Sai chased after Yamato and closed in on him. He was about to capture him but the sudden appearance of Naruto changed that. He appeared and, with his tails, restrained the real Yamato.

"Naruto…? How did you get free so soon?" Sai asked.

"The one you caught was the clone. I broke free of Captain Yamato's wood and came after him, but that's not the case… You bastard…! Do you know the meaning of the word 'companion'?"

"Of course," he responded by writing the word and showing it to Naruto. "What about it?"

Naruto gritted his teeth and jerked Sai off his feet by his collar. "Hey, hold on Naruto," Sakura tried to stop him.

Unfazed by this show of strength, Sai said, "Please don't blame others for your own minimal amount of ability."

"Minimal ability…? You have no idea what I'm capable of," Naruto stated.

"By your recent performance, it wouldn't be very impressive," Sai said. "If you hadn't fallen for the captain's obvious provocation and made your ruse of transforming into me obvious by using your own jutsu, I would've been able to stay hidden without being exposed… It's not pleasant to have to look after someone who can't even keep himself in check. I just worked with the mission in mind."

Naruto scoffed, "You're no good… I… will never consider you a companion or a member of Team Kakashi…"

"Oh… And what would Sasuke have done in that situation…? Would he have fought while looking after you as a companion and a member of Team Kakashi?" Sai provoked.

Sakura began to worry. She knew that Naruto had a temper and Sai was really testing it. If they weren't stopped, things could become really ugly.

"He betrayed the village and injured you… yet you still refer to him as a friend…"

Naruto turned and said, "If it's to save that friend, I'll do anything… even if it means working with you."

Naruto turned and walked away, leaving Sai to ask, "Why does he still care about Sasuke so much…?"

Sakura answered, "Naruto… thinks of Sasuke as being like a brother to him. That's why he goes so far… You… said you have a brother too…? Don't you understand that feeling?"

She looked at him as he emotionlessly said, "No… not at all… Remember the talk we had about picture titles…? I couldn't come up with any, because I feel nothing. I have none of what you'd call 'emotions'."

Sakura was surprised to hear this. "I-in that case… if you have a brother, can't you at least imagine what it's like not to have him around?"

"Hmm… Yeah… sort of," Sai clearly mumbled. "My brother's already dead."

"Then you should really understand…"

Sai didn't say anything. Sakura watched as Naruto grabbed his bag. She was convinced that Sai had something to say…

"Not really… I just didn't know what kind of expression to use when my brother died." says Sai.

Seeing that the simulation had been a failure, Yamato ordered that they get their things together. Hopefully their problems wouldn't affect the outcome of the mission.

"Sai… a moment ago, I probably would've broken your neck when I sent you flying… I warned you that if you badmouthed Sasuke, I wouldn't hold back… but I didn't do that because of what Naruto said… To save Sasuke, he'd even work with someone like you who badmouths him… No matter who you are… I won't hurt you if it means that we can save Sasuke…"

"You're… very gentle with Naruto, Sakura, aren't you…?" Sai questioned. "I… don't understand feelings like those… but it was in a book I read…"

Sakura could understand him a little better, but she still wasn't sure of how to treat him. They left the scene and made their way to the bridge. With one more day, they camped out near the bridge but out of sight. Tension was still present in the team. Not wanting to lose sleep over it, or deal with it at all at the moment, Naruto headed to the roof. There he slept and was the first up as the sun shined on him. The team got ready and took their positions as they awaited the arrival of their target.

The wind was strong. As a cloaked individual made their way onto the bridge, the team figured that this must be their target. With the wind being as strong as it was today, it rocked the bridge with a single gust. This ominous wind gave Naruto an awkward feeling about this.

"_There's something wrong with this_," Naruto whispered.

"_What do you mean, Naruto_?" Sakura quietly asked.

"_There's someone else out there_," he concluded.

Disguised as Sasori, Yamato made his way in front of the spy. "It's been a long time, Master Sasori," the spy said.

"Were you followed?" "Sasori" questioned his spy.

The spy shook his head as he removed his hood, revealing that he was Kabuto Yakushi. "I have some questions for you," "Sasori" told him.

"I have little time, so please, make it brief. It was a great risk to slip away from Orochimaru to come here," Kabuto stated.

"Tell me about the location of your base… and about Sasuke Uchiha…"

"We have many bases," he informed him. "To keep from being discovered, we change on a weekly basis. There are, of course, bases in other countries than the Sound. Orochimaru's spies enter those countries and guide us. But we have various movement methods, which can be somewhat, cumbersome… Our current base is hidden on a small island in a lake to the north. We will move from there in three days. Sasuke is there as well."

"_This is bad_," Naruto commented. "_This smell… I can sense a great killing intent_."

Across the bridge, there was a rustle in the bushes. Kabuto panicked but was relieved when it just turned out to be…

"_A bunny_," Sakura said silently but irritated. "_There's no way that cute little bunny could generate 'a great killing intent'. It's the Land of Waves all over again_…"

"It's coming!" Naruto claimed.

Kabuto seemed on edge and desperate to get away as soon as possible. "Now… about that one task you asked of me, Master Sasori…"

Yamato was stuck, _"Not good…! I still have more I have to get out of him… but if I continue this conversation any longer, I'll blow my cover…" _

"Even after Orochimaru's transmigration, he cast a protective jutsu on the cellular specimen of the leftover corpse… I was unable to perform a data analysis on that specimen."

"_Captain Yamato has to go through with the capture already_…!" Naruto said. "_Otherwise_…"

Sakura argued, "_This is Kabuto we're talking about here… If we were to let him get away, then things would end there. Taking things carefully is exactly what Captain Yamato needs to be doing_."

"_Still… if he's any more careful than he needs to, he may end up arousing suspicion and could end up losing the chance to most effectively capture the target_," Sai cleared.

"That's not what I'm talking about," Naruto said as he intensely watched.

Kabuto put out his hand and said, "On that note, please hand me the item I came for. I can't continue to stay here much longer. If it's found out that I'm meeting with you of all people here like this, then I'll be killed."

"Very well," "Sasori" agreed. _"End of the line… It's either now or never…!" _

From his sleeve he began to pull a kunai. He would take advantage of the unsuspecting Kabuto while he could but was halted by a sudden appearance…

"My my, my… Tsk, tsk, tsk," Orochimaru clicked his tongue as his snake coiled to strike. "What an amusing conversation… You wouldn't mind if I were to join in myself, would you?"

Kabuto quickly slipped from his cloak and landed next to "Sasori". Everyone observing was surprised to see Orochimaru there…

"If it weren't for you drawing your kunai, Master Sasori, I wouldn't have been able to get away in time," Kabuto huffed.

"_I suppose I've at least escaped detection for now… Still… now that Orochimaru's here… what should I do…?" _

"_Come on…! Give us the signal already," _Naruto thought anxiously.

Orochimaru's snake disappeared as he started to say, "That getup of yours sure does bring back memories… Sasori…"

"So you followed Kabuto here then…?"

"I was merely hoping to say a word or two of thanks for that lovely boy there that you bestowed me with… I was able to make quite good use of him. The development of but one good jutsu requires the bodies of well over a hundred live human test subjects… but thanks to that boy there, I was able to use the same test subjects over and over again. It's quite hard to come across enough test subjects after all…" Orochimaru confessed.

"_In all likelihood, me taking on Orochimaru by myself is out of the question… but if I call in the others, Kabuto will know my identity and capturing him will prove difficult… Even if I try to work with Kabuto to subdue Orochimaru… my fighting style will make it obvious that I'm not Sasori… Either way, I'm left with the choice of defeating him or retreating… but just one or the other…" _

Before Yamato could make his decision, Kabuto took action. His hand glowed as he activated his "medical jutsu". Astoundingly, he spun back and knocked off Sasori's head with a backhand.

"Captain Yamato…!" Sakura worried.

Wasting no time, Yamato escaped his guise the second it was compromised. _"Did he figure me out?" _

He quickly analyzed Kabuto and Orochimaru and came to the conclusion that he hadn't been found out, but why…? What was going on?

Orochimaru built up his attack before unleashing a wave of snakes from his hand. They wrapped around Yamato and began biting on him. Fortunately, he used a "Substitution" jutsu before they could sink their fangs into him.

"_Give the signal already…!!" _

Orochimaru took notice of the substitution and said, "That was a 'Substitution' using 'Wood ninjutsu'… Don't tell me you're…"

"What's going on here?" Yamato questioned. "Kabuto… you're supposed to be an Akatsuki spy… You should've been under the effects of Sasori's jutsu all this time…"

Kabuto answered, "Ah yes, that jutsu… Lord Orochimaru did me the honor of dispelling it quite some time ago…"

Yamato, "I wasn't expecting you to change sides, acting as though you were still under the effects of Sasori's jutsu… That must mean that you're now under the effects of Orochimaru's jutsu then…"

"Not really," he answered. "What I fell prey to was Lord Orochimaru's magnificent way of thinking… I chose this path myself. But tell me, who are you anyway…? We came here with the intention of killing Sasori, so this is quite the mishap."

Orochimaru said that it wasn't important at the moment. What he wanted was for the three in hiding to come forward. Since Orochimaru had already caught on and would probably be expecting it sooner or later anyway, Yamato gave his team the signal. They wasted no time in appearing before their captain, especially Naruto.

"O~Oh, so it's you again," Kabuto smirked.

"That's my line!" Naruto growled. "The last time we met, I could've sworn that I blew you to pieces…!"

"Heh heh heh," Orochimaru chuckled. "It seems that you were mistaken. It's funny, however, how many times I've seen that face of yours… I guess this means that you're here to fight… In that case, I think I'll play around with you for a bit. I'll have the pleasure of assessing which is stronger… you… or Sasuke…"

Naruto's transformation had begun. His eyes turned red and Kyuubi-like and his whiskers broadened. Feeling that he was all mixed up, Kabuto tried to explain to him, "Sasuke came to us of his own accord. It's about time you let it go. Going on like this, is hardly becoming of a man…"

"Shut your mouth, four-eyes…!!" Sakura shouted. "You don't now a damn thing, and I've just about had enough of your attitude!!"

"If you want to know how Sasuke is doing, why don't you try to force it out of me…? If you can that is," Orochimaru goaded.

Naruto's transformation quickened as his tails winded and a tail exploded from his Kyuubi-shroud. In the confusion of debris and dust, Naruto gave an instant glare in Orochimaru's direction before he appeared in front of him, digging his claws into his face…

Orochimaru would have been sent flying if Naruto hadn't grabbed him by his ankle. Wide open, Naruto placed a rib-cracking punch into Orochimaru's body and let him tear through the nearby forest.

Sakura was in awe, _"Naruto… Is this…!?" _

"_What… is that?" _Sai wondered.

Seeing this, Yamato thought back to the little meeting he had with the Hokage and Jiraiya in Kakashi's hospital room…

_**Flashback… **_

"_In all likelihood, judging from the appearance of its chakra… its tails would continue to increase at a rapid rate… and in the end…__ all nine would appear," Kakashi reported. "Exactly how many tails did you witness, Master Jiraiya?" he then asked. _

_Jiraiya began slipping out of his shirt. He then lifted his chain mail shirt revealing a horrible sight. A chunk of his chest was now missing. _

_He explained, "There have been two times in my life where I have almost died… The first, was when I was left with six ribs and both arms broken, as well as a number of ruptured organs… after taking a peek in the women's bath… Tsunade, that was when you had your way with me…" _

_She blushed at this and the way he said it. He then went on to say, "Another that could've come close has to be when Hitomi got a little carried away while we were having a little… ahem… 'fun'… but I digress. The second time was definitely when I was training the twins. With rage acting as a trigger, the tails of the demon fox increased in number. I had done this with Yuuki before we returned to the village so she was more experienced in this area, but this time with Naruto… They both were able to retain some degree of consciousness with three tails formed each… but once Yuuki's fourth tail sprouted, Naruto began to lose it. Any appreciation of his own actions he may have had was replaced by pure destructive impulse. It was as if he had become a miniature version of the demon fox itself." _

"_But how could that have happened…? What about the 4__th__'s protective seal?" Kakashi questioned. _

_Jiraiya was unsure but had the hunch that the 4__th__'s seal was beginning to weaken… _

"_So… the case of the number of tails until Naruto loses himself… is three?" Yamato asked. _

"_No," Jiraiya answered. "if alone, Naruto seems capable of controlling himself. It isn't until the fourth tail appears that he most likely loses himself. Yuuki, on the other hand, is a little better than her older brother in this matter. She can maintain control well into the fifth tail but starts to lose herself if she's in that state for too long… Heh… She was actually happy that she was finally better than her brother at something," he chuckled. "But the real problem is that in this four-tailed Kyuubi form, the shroud of chakra first appears to be a form of protection… but in reality, it's doing quite the opposite. It is actually constantly causing damage to the body. By the time the fourth tail is formed, the body is covered with not only the chakra shroud, but also the user's own blood. Once it dissipated, their damaged bodies recovered through the internal Kyuubi chakra. If either continue such rapid cycles of injury followed by accelerated recovery, then without fail, their bodies will weaken and their lifespans will shorten. After the first time with Yuuki, I had decided against allowing the transformation from going this far… but with the Akatsuki after them, I changed my mind since they may need everything in their arsenal to escape the Akatsuki's clutches." _

"_So, since Yuuki has had experience with using the Kyuubi's chakra, it was Naruto who attacked you…?" Yamato inquired. _

"_But Yuuki seemed pretty out of control on the mission before her third tail appeared," Kakashi mentioned._

"_Yeah… at times Yuuki can be just as temperamental as Naruto. Most of the time she keeps her emotions in check, but once she flies off the handle… hardly anyone can get her to calm down… To answer your question, Yamato… I was sort of in the way… The two of them began fighting and I got hurt trying to stop them..." _

"_Why were they fighting?" Tsunade addressed. _

"_It seems that while the two are together, each can only access a certain number of tails. When they were fighting, Naruto proved to be more aggressive than Yuuki could handle and so she released the fifth tail. Once she lost control and turned the battle in her favor, I expected more tails to form, but… no matter how long they fought, neither advanced a tail higher… My guess is that the 4__th__'s seal is designed so that unless both are together, they can't fully access and become the demon fox. As I watched, this seemed to be the case. They weren't trying to kill each other, or rather they couldn't… I was sure that they were trying to drain as much of the Kyuubi's chakra from each other. I was sure of it when I saw Naruto's cloak become darker, his eyes turned pitch black, and as he pinned Yuuki, one of her tails began to disappear while one began to grow on Naruto." _

"_He began stealing her chakra…? But how?" Tsunade asked. _

"_With all that was happening, Naruto began to improve his strength. At some point, he gained access to a terrible power within him…" _

"_You mean…?!" Tsunade sounded shocked. _

_Jiraiya nodded, "That boy is a walking phenomenon," he commented. "Not only does he have the best qualities of two great clans, he has the worst of both as well…" _

"_What are you talking about?" Yamato asked confused. _

"_Over the years, Naruto's gotten better at using techniques and abilities from both clans whose blood run through his veins. There's no doubt that if he can truly handle it all, he become an extraordinary shinobi beyond compare… But along with the good comes the bad. The Star clan had a feared technique that if misused, as it was, it could lead to ruin for anyone unfortunate enough to be around when initiated…" _

"_It's troubling, but this is why you were chosen, Yamato… You have the 1__st__ Hokage's cells within you," Tsunade stated. _

"_Currently, you are the only one with the potential to control the tailed beasts. And as luck would have it, the 1__st__'s necklace is currently around Naruto's neck," Jiraiya informed him. "We're counting on you…"_

_**End of flashback… **_

"My, my… I see you're developing nicely as a host, Naruto," Kabuto taunted.

This caught Naruto's attention and he turned on Kabuto. Before he knew it, Naruto was coming right at him, preparing to deliver a strike similar to the one he bestowed upon Orochimaru. Before he did however, Orochimaru slumped his way back to the bridge. Naruto stopped and focused on Orochimaru, slowly making his way over to him.

"_Without a doubt… the Kyuubi's power is becoming even stronger," _Kabuto thought in relief as he was no longer a target.

With the skin hanging from his face, Orochimaru continued to badger Naruto, "My oh my… you've become quite the little beast, haven't you… Naruto…" After reapplying his face, he then turned his venomous spit to Yamato, "And that explains why you were chosen to watch over him. It would appear my experiments were of some help after all… I should think that the Leaf should be a little more appreciative… Wouldn't you agree… dearest guinea pig of mine?"

"Guinea pig…?" Kabuto questioned. "Just who is this person?"

Orochimaru answered, "Well, you see, the 1st Hokage was a shinobi who possessed the most unique of abilities… And what's more… he was able to bend the tailed beasts to his will… Oh, how I coveted those gifts of his… heh heh heh… Having obtained data on the 1st's genome from his remains, I carried out an experiment in which his genetic traits were spliced into the cells of 60 different children… but their bodies seemed to reject the foreign DNA, to say the least… They died by the dozens, one after another… I thought they all suffered the same fate… but here, before me… is undisputable proof that I was a bit hasty…"

"Well, it seems that this won't be an entire waste… You'll be able to get your hands on a long overdue research sample," Kabuto smirked.

Orochimaru agreed, but there was something more he wanted, "Before that… I would love to see our Sasuke fight the Kyuubi boy just once. I would like to see which is stronger,"

"**He isn't yours…!**" Naruto gruffly claimed. "_**Don't you dare… talk of Sasuke… as though he belongs to you!!**_" he roared as his tails unraveled and a third sprang from his shroud.

The surrounding air pressure grew thicker and more hurtful to those around. Orochimaru was astounded. It was as if he was actually face to face with _the _Demon fox. The intimidating air he put out was breathtaking.

With chakra pressure alone, the bridge began to collapse. Sensing an opportunity, Kabuto attacked with a chakra scalpel while Naruto was, supposedly, powering up. Naruto didn't even give him a single glance. With one swing of his tail, Kabuto was sent hurtling by a blast of chakra induced wind. The power of the blast and the strain it caused was too much for the bridge to maintain itself and it blew into pieces.

The force of the attack sent Kabuto flying through the air, into Sakura, and into the forest. Kabuto stayed conscious, but Sakura was a different story. Her head crashed into the bridge and knocked her out. As the bridge gave out, Yamato tried to hold up their end with his wood element jutsu. Sakura began to slide off the bridge. Using his own jutsu, Sai saved himself by creating a bird. Yamato, on the other hand, was the one that had to save a helpless Sakura from plummeting to her death.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru had been blown back by Naruto's intense chakra as well. Out of nowhere, an extended hand of pure chakra began grabbing at him. He evaded it by a hair, or a few strands of hair. Naruto grabbed a hold of a tree with his arm of chakra and pulled himself towards Orochimaru.

Sakura dangled off the collapsing bridge. Yamato had a hard time keeping her from falling when he noticed Sai flying by. He asked him to help with Sakura, but he was ignored. Before it was too late, Yamato grabbed a hold of her and saved her. He couldn't ignore Sai's behavior and sent a wood clone after him.

Orochimaru was once again sent tearing through the forest. This time, his body lost to it in a big way. His arm was ripped from his battered and broken body. He began squirming until his jaw unhinged. Fingers came from his mouth followed by a new, uninjured Orochimaru.

"You're using the power of the Kyuubi and _this_ is all the power you have to show…!? You still have a way to go to catch up to Sasuke," he mocked.

A fourth tail began bubbling up from Naruto's shroud. He could feel himself slipping out of control, but he didn't care. All he wanted… was Orochimaru's death…

As Naruto underwent a transformation, his skin began to peel off of his body. His blood dripped and floated through his shroud, turning it dark. As Orochimaru witnessed this, he became intrigued by the new sensation it caused. Once it stopped, Naruto let out a piercing howl that echoed through the forest and sent chills up Orochimaru's spine.

"Sakura… are you alright?" Yamato asked as she came to.

She sat up but quickly winced as her head began to hurt in pain. The two noticed a surge of chakra shoot into the sky. Since she had been out of it at the time, Sakura took one look at the dismantled bridge and asked what happened. Yamato informed her that it was all Naruto's doing and that he was now on the other side battling with Orochimaru.

Sai, and secretly Yamato's wood clone, tried to observe the fight through all the chaos. The surrounding area had been destroyed with trees and other debris scattered all over. Orochimaru licked his chops at this show of devastating power. He opened his mouth and hundreds of snakes slithered from it. They attacked with blades protruding from their mouths. With one swipe of his clawed hand, Naruto sliced and blew the snakes away…

"_A shockwave that big with the wave of just one hand…!? This can't be real!" _Yamato was shocked.

"_I won't be getting any closer like this," _Sai thought as his bird was destroyed by the ominous gust.

Naruto growled and shoved his arms into the ground. It quaked as his hands exploded from the earth after Orochimaru. He tried to get away but found running hard to do. He attempted to counter with a large snake from his sleeve, but it disintegrated upon contact with Naruto's hands. It broke down to the point that Orochimaru's body followed suit. He quickly escaped from this body to avoid being completely eaten away at by Naruto's chakra…

With an opening, Orochimaru rushed right at Naruto. He punched him, but taking a page from Orochimaru, Naruto split from his body and capitalized. In one swing, Orochimaru was cut in half.

Snakes extended and reconnected both halves. He backed off as multiple balls of energy exploded from his body. The white and black orbs energy collected and gathered into one in front of Naruto and he swallowed it as it compressed. Orochimaru knew that it was trouble as there was a moment of silence and no movement from Naruto…

He jumped back thinking, _"If I'm hit by that, even for me… it would mean unavoidable death…!"_

Naruto swelled up like a balloon as the ground cracked beneath him. It soon rumbled as the pressure built. In suspense, Naruto righted himself, aimed directly at Orochimaru, and unleashed a strong blast from his mouth. Orochimaru acted quickly and bit both thumbs to summon his strongest defense.

Three giant Rashoumon gates burst from the earth. Naruto's attack collided with Orochimaru's defense. This by far was the most destructive scene that had occurred on this day. All three gates were obliterated in an instant as was several kilometers of the surrounding area.

The resounding explosion caught the ears of Yamato, Sakura, and Kabuto back on the other side of the bridge.

"What's happening…?!" Sakura was concerned.

"_Impressive," _Kabuto thought. _"To think he was this powerful…" _

"I can't say I was expecting to see the fourth tail here," Yamato stated.

Sad, Sakura asked, "Captain Yamato… you know something about Naruto that you're not saying, right…? Just what's happening to him anyway?"

He told her not to worry. Everything would be alright. It was for this reason that he was chosen to lead this team. Before they knew it, a crash happened not too far from them. There was a miniature Kyuubi Naruto in a crater with a blade sticking into him.

Seeing this _thing_ sitting there, Sakura didn't know how to respond when she realized that it was actually Naruto. She became worried as she did not know what to make of this.

Kabuto managed to heal himself but was still in a great deal of pain. He came within earshot of Sakura and Yamato and said, "At this point, it's no longer a fight between ninja… it's more like one between monsters… wouldn't you agree…?" he sneered.

Sakura was saddened even more as Kabuto laughed. Orochimaru was surprised to see that not even his sword of Kusanagi could pierce through. He tried to force it, but Naruto just looked at him curiously. No matter how hard he tried, this attempt wouldn't work on Naruto. He grabbed the blade and flung it aside. It swung and fully cut the bridge from the cliff, barely missing Sakura and Yamato.

As Naruto roared, Kabuto continued his mind games with Sakura, "Will you look at that… I guess he wanted to save Sasuke so badly that he turned into that… Right now, he has no sense of self… What a sad kid…"

Tears began welling up in Sakura's eyes. She knew what kind of person Naruto was and it wasn't this monster… yet he had become like this for her sake. The sake of fulfilling his promise with her…

Before anyone knew it, Sakura ran to Naruto screaming, "Naruto…! Stop…!! That's enough…!! You don't have to do this!! I'll save Sasuke…!! You don't need to go this far…!!"

Naruto didn't recognize her and took exception to the fact that she was advancing towards him so recklessly. He seemed to take offense to this and, with one swing of the tail, swatted her away.

Before he could do anymore damage, Yamato restrained Naruto with his wooden technique. He had to do something about him and quickly. He noticed Kabuto approaching Sakura as she grimaced from her wound…

"Don't worry… I no longer mean you any harm," he said. "Your side and mine have a common enemy… Akatsuki… They're a thorn in our side. As I see it… if we let you live, there's a chance you might take out another member for us. That or die trying. Either way would be fine with me… That said, it was you who brought that thing here… so you're the ones who'll have to do something about it."

He took a moment to tend to Sakura's wound before leaving to see about Orochimaru. With that distraction gone, Yamato could focus on reversing Naruto's transformation. He thrust out his arm with the sign "Sit" on his palm.

With Naruto still restrained, Yamato jumped in his direction, "Hokage Style - Submission Jutsu: Kaku-an's Enlightened Return!"

He placed his palm on Naruto's body and retreated to safety. Wooden stakes arose from the earth as the chakra shroud was ripped from Naruto's body.

Sai was still keeping an eye on things on the other side of the bridge. After Naruto's explosive attack however, he had lost sight of things. He finally found Orochimaru's limp body with his extended neck and head returning to the area. From it, Orochimaru climbed out of his own mouth once again in a disgusting manner. For a while, he just laid there, exhausted. Sai thought of this as good a time as any to make his move…

"It would seem… that the time is fast approaching," Orochimaru strained. "This body's indeed showing an adverse reaction… It really is a shame, but… it seems that playtime's over…"

Sai approached him, and with a smile on his face cheerily said, "I'm an envoy of Lord Danzou's… I'm not an enemy. There's something I would like to discuss…"

"Danzou…? So that senile old fool is still alive…? Well then… what can this message be? But I warn you… choose your words carefully, otherwise you'll die."

Sai took a moment to choose his words carefully, "I will only speak in the way Lord Danzou told me to… then if something displeases you, do as you wish."

Having enough of Sai's smiling face, Orochimaru spit his sword at him. After it found its mark, he told him, "You really need to work on your manners, dear boy."

Orochimaru's sword fell to the ground as Sai melted into a puddle of ink. As Sai emerged from the ground, Orochimaru's sword turned into a snake and slithered back down his throat.

"When addressing your elders, you should properly show yourself… So… what am I to take as proof of your sincerity if what you say is true?"

Sai reached into his backpack. Before he could retrieve anything from it however, Kabuto appeared and pinned him to the ground. He was suspicious about Sai's motives and asked what he was up to. Sai pointed out an envelope that fell from his backpack and informed Orochimaru that he should look at it. Orochimaru did just that…

"Most interesting," his eyes flickered across the page. "Kabuto, let that boy go. As of now, he'll be coming with us…"

Naruto's breathing was labored and his skin was burnt. Sakura did her best to help him recover. His skin slowly returned to normal as Sakura continued treating him as best she could. As hard as she tried, she had a tough time seeing as she was trying to ignore her own wound and the pain that came along with it.

Out of the blue, Sakura asked, "Captain Yamato… that jutsu you used to stop Naruto… is it possible… that you could teach it to me?"

His response, "I'm afraid not… Because I am the only one compatible with the 1st's cells, I'm the only person in the Leaf Village that can use it. Because of this, I was made your squad commander."

Hearing this just depressed Sakura more. "It figures," Sakura said teary-eyed. "I can never seem to be able to do anything useful…"

To keep her from getting too down in the dumps, Yamato told her, "It's not what you _do _for Naruto that's important… it's how you _care_ for him that counts…"

Sakura was confused. Yamato tried to clarify, "I can tell just by looking at you… that you genuinely care for him. You--…"

Before he could finish, Naruto awoke. He slowly sat up, twitching with any slight movement. He shook off the pain before he noticed Sakura crying…

"Why are you crying, Sakura?"

She scowled as she tried to hide her tears. "I'm not crying, idiot…!" she roughly but gently hit the blonde as to not hurt him anymore than he already was.

Seeing that Sakura didn't want to talk about it, Naruto tried to change the subject. "Where's Sai," he asked while Sakura helped him up.

"Right now he's with Orochimaru. We have to go after them," Yamato informed.

Naruto began to get his bearings as his chakra began to flow normally once again. As he recovered, his hair whitened and his tail morphed. Feeling a little better, he and the team crossed the fissure and made their way to the former battleground of Naruto and Orochimaru.

Naruto was concerned about what had happened here. It seemed vaguely familiar in a way. He asked what could have happened and why he was unconscious. Hesitantly, Sakura answered, "Orochimaru go to you and left you unconscious," she spared.

Naruto had a questioning look in his eye but kept to himself. Sakura noticed a scroll and under it a familiar book. She picked it up and quickly recognized it as Sai's. She wanted to take a look at it but had no time. They had to see what Sai's true mission was.

As they trailed Sai, they talked about what his motives could be. Sakura speculated that he and Danzou could be planning to betray the Hidden Leaf. Yamato figured that Sai's secret mission was to, in some way, set in motion his plans to take power in the Leaf. If this was the case, they would have to put a stop to it immediately…

The team hopped through the forest trying to catch up to Sai and Orochimaru. Naruto would feel momentary lapses of weakness here and there, but he managed to go on. Sakura could see signs of this and became concerned. While she paid more attention to Naruto's condition, she hadn't noticed her own. She grabbed a hold of a branch and, as she was about to swing from it, slipped off in a moment of weakness. Naruto picked up on this and tried his best to save her but fell victim to his condition in a similar way. Now both were falling, barely able to move their bodies…

Naruto managed to summon a little strength and get under Sakura in hopes of cushioning her fall. Luckily for both, Yamato rescued them before they could crash to the ground. As he set them down Sakura asked, "Naruto… you idiot… Why would you do something like try to break my fall when you're the one who's hurt?"

Naruto weakly chuckled, "I'm sorry Sakura… I just sort of reacted without thinking…"

"Well, just don't do it again… not while you're in this condition. I just faltered a little, but I would've corrected myself and been fine," she hid the truth.

Both Yamato and Naruto noticed as she slyly tried to cover the wound on her arm while keeping a strong face. Seeing her desperation, Yamato decided to take a short rest break. Sakura decided to take this chance to look for some herbs and whatnot to help with Naruto's condition, and secretly her own wound. Yamato, on the other hand, decided to have a little chat with Naruto…

"Naruto… I need to tell you something… You were the one that destroyed that area back there. And that wound on Sakura's arm that she was trying to hide… it was you who did that to her. You lost yourself to the Demon Fox and went on a rampage. Luckily I was able to stop you and return you to normal…"

Naruto looked sad at hearing this, but he didn't look shocked. ""Yeah… I figured something was up. I could smell my scent all over that place back there…" He looked hurt, "It happened again… I couldn't control myself and I ended up hurting someone close to me…"

"_Master Jiraiya must've told him as well,"_ Yamato thought to himself. "Naruto, about your power…"

"Last time this happened I hurt my grandpa and Yuuki. It took Yuuki two weeks before she could finally move around, and my grandpa was in so much pain for such a long time. His wound is still pretty bad even now..." Disappointment was evident on his face as he continued, "At… at least I didn't hurt my friends as much this time," he stretched.

"Naruto about your power…"

Once again Yamato was cut off by Naruto, "Captain Yamato… you said that you stopped me and turned me back…? How did you do it?"

Yamato told him, "A special technique for controlling a tailed beast, similar to that of the 1st Hokage." Yamato knew where this would be going and answered, "It's a technique in which I'm the only one in the Leaf Village who can use it. There's no way I could possibly teach it to someone else."

Naruto looked crushed, "I… I see… That's too bad. I was hoping for some kind of way to control this monster inside of me…"

"Naruto… you should have some faith in yourself. Even I can tell that you may be the best candidate to house the Demon Fox. It's unfortunate, but no one else could possibly bear this task. You seem to have a special power that's allowed you to withstand it from the very beginning. You must use this power to overcome the beast within you. Also… you shouldn't depend on the Kyuubi's power to achieve your goals. If you do, you will undoubtedly hurt more of your friends. If you want to do something, whatever that may be, like rescuing Sasuke… you should use _your_ power to accomplish it. The Kyuubi enacts on your fears of failure… but you shouldn't feel this way because you have good friends and comrades that are willing to help you."

"_Naruto_…" a soft voice called out. "_Naruto_…" it did again and again as the person made their way through the forest.

Naruto stood on the top of a large hill looking up at the sky. He slightly glanced over and that's when it happened. A bolt of lightning struck…

Hinata woke up in a state of panic and cold sweat. She was relieved that it was only a dream, one that she had been having more and more frequently. Although she had been seeing it an increasingly amount of times, she didn't know what it could mean. It always started the same but more was added each time.

She slowly got out of bed and got herself a glass of water. She downed it and started getting herself ready for the rest of the day. She was still tired from her afternoon nap but she couldn't let it get to her. Because of many worries she had, Hinata was having trouble sleeping regularly. One of those worries was the event that was coming up. She had a big decision to make.

"Aren't you ready yet, Hinata," Kiba shouted as he impatiently opened the door.

Hinata grabbed the closest thing she could as she heard the doorknob turn. Kiba blushed as he was pleasantly surprised to see a covered, but nude, Hinata. She shrieked at him about his indecency and wanted him to leave. Kiba panicked that someone would hear this and think that she was in trouble. If so, he would be the one in trouble. He slammed the door and tried to sneak off before anyone else came to check.

He saw Neji and Hiashi with other Hyuuga bodyguards and was ready to panic, but he thought of a way to get himself off the hook. "He-hey guys... Th-there's nothing to worry about, I already checked it out. She said that it was a spider. A spider," he nervously chuckled. "A-anyway, I took care of it and now she's getting ready so there's no need to ask her about it."

He tried to casually walk by the group of Hyuugas and a Byakugan-activated Hiashi. Hiashi sent Hanabi to check on her older sister and she did. Kiba tried to make his way by the group but a hand on his shoulder spooked him. He turned to see Hiashi with a dark look on his face.

"Your chakra gave you away. I know that you lied, and if there's cause for punishment, I will be the one to dish it out," he darkly said. "However… the fact that you lied means that you have something to hide, so~…"

Shortly after Hanabi entered the room, she and Hinata heard a loud girly scream outside in the hallway. Not questioning it even a little, Hinata continued dressing in baggy dark blue pants that stopped halfway to her ankles and a matching jacket. They immediately left once she was done.

They made their way to the meeting and Hinata took her place in front of the council. She felt uneasy. Her earlier nap wasn't refreshing and she was unsure of what to do in the situation she was in.

"Hinata Hyuuga," one of the elders spoke up. "You have made great progress over the years. Because of this we have offered you a position among the illustrious youth council, and I would like to personally like to congratulate you on this… However… you declined to take the position at the moment. We would like an explanation of this decision."

Hinata took a moment to collect what she wanted to say and, "I'm honored to be offered such a position, but… I don't want to accept it at the moment. There's something I would like to do back in the Leaf Village."

They took in her explanation and her grandfather spoke next, "We understand that you may have unfinished business back home, but we would like an answer whether you would accept the position after it is concluded…"

"I… I'm not sure," she hesitated. "If things don't go the way I hope, it would just seem like I was running away to somewhere far away, but if it's the other way and I leave…" she paused. "Either way, I have a tough decision and because of this… I can't give a sure answer."

Haruto spoke again, "It's possible that we may be able to give you some time to think things over but not much. Both your grandmother and I wish for the best when it comes to your future, wherever it may be. But if you don't accept this honor, you may never get the chance again…"

A female elder continued in his stead, "But if you can't then there is another position we'd like to offer you. You have shown great promise and even greater potential, and so… we would like it if you considered becoming a 'Valkyrie'…"

"A… 'Valkyrie'…?"

Another elder explained, "A 'Valkyrie' is one who provides protection and support for the council. A personal bodyguard if you will… You are a prime candidate for such a position seeing as your defensive and healing qualities are extremely high even among the clan. We believe that you're fit for either position… so, you now have more on your plate. Will you decide to accept one of these and live here, or will you continue to live in the Leaf Village…?"

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

After rubbing an ointment made of herbs she found, Sakura returned to her team. Unfortunately she hadn't found anything to help Naruto. He would have to go on with guts alone. Before they went after Sai and Orochimaru, Sakura decided to take a peek at Sai's picture book. After a confusing look-through, they continued on to an area not too far away from a lake and caught up to Yamato's wood clone. He explained that he saw Sai and Orochimaru and Kabuto entering an underground opening. Yamato said to leave it to him…

Sai was being shown around Orochimaru's lair. He was led to a big room with many posts with snakes wrapped around them and a giant snake statue at the back of the room. This is where the introduction took place…

"You're late… Orochimaru," a voice called out from the shadows.

"You shouldn't be so informal with Lord Orochimaru… You should really--" Kabuto stopped as the eyes in the back of the room changed.

Amused, Orochimaru chuckled, "Ku ku ku… Now, now… take it easy Sasuke. I've brought you a little playmate. I do hope that you get along better with him than you do Kabuto, or anyone else under my command for that matter."

Sasuke began making his way over, the only thing visible being his eyes and white shirt. "Hi, I'm Sai," he introduced himself with a smile. "I've heard a lot about you, especially from Sakura and Naruto--"

He opened his eyes and was terrified at what he saw. The entire room changed to blood red from the moment he locked eyes on Sasuke's sharingan. Sai was clearly intimidated as he fell backward.

Orochimaru chuckled again and said, "Now Sasuke… behave. This boy is important. It wouldn't be in good faith to kill him while there's still some use for him."

"Whatever," Sasuke scoffed. "Let's just get on with my training. I still have to get stronger," he demanded.

"Very well," Orochimaru agreed. "Kabuto… show our guest to his room and use these to compile a data book," he handed him the file he received from Sai.

Kabuto obliged and showed Sai to his room for the night. The moment he was alone, Sai got to work. He took out a scroll from deep within his backpack and read it. It contained the details of his secret mission given by Danzou. He was to assassinate the last Uchiha.

He readied his materials to carry out his mission and headed to the door. It opened to his surprise and he received a punch to the face. He crashed through the wooden desk across the room and shook it off, trying to regain his senses. He rubbed his face as he looked to the doorway and through it came his betrayed team. He sat up only to be restricted by a wooden harness around his body. From that point on he was dragged from the underground lair and back to the surface.

Once they were safe, Sai received countless scowls from Naruto and Sakura. They interrogated him on his true intentions but he wouldn't say a word.

"Answer us…!!" Naruto demanded. "What are you up to?! Tell us… that you aren't supposed to destroy the Leaf Village…!"

Sai's eyes drifted to the side as he answered, "And what if I am…? I was given the order and I've never failed to complete my missions. But that's not it… I was also supposed to secretly transmit information on Orochimaru to Master Danzou." Sakura tried to question why he would undergo such a dangerous mission, alone no doubt, but he answered, "I am nobody. Nothing more than a tool of Master Danzou. I don't really exist. As such, nothing you say to me means anything."

Sakura clutched Sai's book and showed it to him, "If that's the case, then why do you care so much about this picture book you carry with you?" Sai averted his gaze. "If you ask me, you carry it because it's the only thing left that proves you exist… You have yet to truly rid yourself of your emotions, despite what you say because… even for us shinobi, abandoning our emotions completely is impossible."

"I… I don't understand…"

Sakura clarified, "Your bonds with your brother are important to you, and that's why you find yourself unable to forget your existence. The reality is that you don't want to erase the bonds that formed between the two of you."

Sai told them his life story of how he became a member of Root because he, like many of the other members, had lost his parents. At the time, he became close to a member who became somewhat of a brother to him. He planned on giving him the picture book as a present but he died before he could complete it, and now he no longer remembered how it was to end.

Naruto and Sakura felt sympathy for Sai. Before things became too emotional, Yamato informed them that they would now go for Sasuke.

"It'd be better if you gave up," Sai commented. "I met with him and now Orochimaru is with him now. If you go after him, the best you'll manage is be torn to pieces or turned into guinea pigs… Besides, Sasuke doesn't even seem to care about you anymore… Do you really intend to put your life on the line against Orochimaru of all people, just to get him back?"

Naruto smirked before saying, "I used to hate Sasuke long ago… but once we got to know each other, we started getting along in our own little way. He was a lot of fun to be around… He was one of the first few people who accepted me and my existence. Sasuke is my friend and is like a brother to me… He represents a bond that I waited so long to receive, so that's why… even if my arms are ripped off, I'll just kick him to death. If my legs are ripped off, I'll bite him to death. Heh… If my head is ripped off, then I'll just stare him to death. If my eyes are poked out, I'll just curse him to death… Even if it means being torn to pieces… I'm going to take Sasuke back from Orochimaru no matter what!"

Things got quiet. A shower of kunai flew between the team and Sai and they jumped back. Kabuto then appeared and freed him in one motion. "Let's go, Sai…! We'll eliminate them and return to inform Orochimaru of the discovery of the lair."

"Oh, no you don't…!" Naruto shouted as he charged.

A moment of weakness fell over him but he ignored it and continued on. With a kunai in hand, he tried to slash at Kabuto but missed. Kabuto shifted to the side and punched Naruto in the stomach. He then connected with an uppercut that knocked Naruto back.

"It's so pathetic, I pity you. People change, yet you don't want to believe that Sasuke is no longer the Sasuke you used to know."

He pulled a kunai himself and lunged at Naruto. Naruto recovered in time to avoid being stabbed and placed a knee in Kabuto's jaw. The force of it nearly knocked Kabuto's glasses off of his face. He readjusted them as Sakura charged at him next. She was looking to score a big bone-shattering blow to Kabuto but he evaded it by jumping back. He then evaded Yamato's wood restraints as they popped up all around him.

Concerned with not being caught, Kabuto didn't notice when Naruto appeared next to him. He dodged a punch and jumped away from a kick but was slammed to the ground with a tail-whip.

Kabuto created a small crater as he crashed to the ground. He reached up and grabbed his glasses on the side of the crater and asked Sai for a little help. Sai looked like he was ready to fight. He grabbed his pen and a scroll and used his jutsu to create a snake. The team prepared as it slithered towards them. They were relieved as Sai's snake instead wrapped around Kabuto…

"Sai…?" Sakura questioned.

"What are you up to?" Naruto asked.

"I'm… not sure," Sai said. "I'm curious as to how things develop between you and Sasuke," he looked towards Naruto. "Bonds… I want to know what they're really made of."

With Sai back on their side, Team Kakashi jumped back in the hole and into Orochimaru's lair. Up top, Kabuto would be guarded by Yamato's wood clone. They made their way through the halls, but since Naruto was still having trouble sensing others, they split up in teams of two. Yamato and Sakura went one way and Naruto and Sai went another.

They checked every room they came upon in search of Sasuke as fast as they could. They had no other way and hopefully this wasn't a mistake and they stumbled upon…

"Orochimaru…" Naruto whispered to Sai.

The two hid around the corner as Orochimaru entered the hallway. They tried to turn and go the other way but a big snake crashed through the corner of the wall they were hiding behind.

"He he he… It looks like some little mice have found their way into the snake's hole," Orochimaru commented.

With their cover blown, Naruto told Sai to run and get help while he preoccupied Orochimaru. He created a wall of clones as Sai ran for it. Sai sped through the halls in search of the others with the sound of smashes and crashes from where he came. With no luck finding anyone, Sai resorted to his jutsu. He created many mice and snakes that scoured the lair in search for anyone. He finally found someone and headed in that direction. He eased the door open and, with a smile on his face, informed Sasuke that he was there to rescue him…

Yamato noticed that Naruto and Sai had been separated and they both had recently increased their chakra usage. With an explosion, they headed to see what was happening. They came to an opening in which Sai was on the other side.

Sakura ran into the opening screaming, "Sai… What are you--!!?"

She stopped short as she realized that someone else was there. Her gaze drifted upward. She didn't know how to feel when she saw the figure atop the collapsing structure in front of her.

"Sa-… Sasuke…"

She was about to say something to him when a blast of chakra crashed through the nearby wall. It continued on through the lower half of the wall Sasuke was standing on and it began crumbling a little more.

"Naruto," Sakura said as an exhausted Naruto stepped through the wall.

"There… you guys are," he said breathlessly. He felt as if he was being watched and looked up. "Sasuke…"

Coldly, he responded, "Yo… Naruto… Sakura…"

With a smile, Naruto said, "Hey… I see you haven't change a bit… you've still got those weird eyes."

* * *

**End of chapter… **

Hazardous confrontations befall Team Kakashi…

They finally meet with Sasuke, their former teammate and comrade…

Next chapter: Strength


	5. Growth & Power

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap:**

Naruto and his team has tried all they could to finally get to this point. After years of seperation, Team 7 is reunited. How will things go down between them?

* * *

**Growth and Power**

The structure Sasuke was standing on began to give out completely. As it crumbled, before it hit the ground, Sasuke appeared with an arm around Naruto.

"We've come to bring you back," Naruto said with all joking aside.

Sasuke said, "I already told you, I've cut my bonds with you and the village. If you want to be Hokage, you shouldn't waste your life so carelessly on such an unimportant problem."

"Heh… After all these years, your eyes are still clouded… What kind of Hokage can't save his closest friend…?"

"Well… this circle of you coming after me will have to stop sometime…" Sasuke said as he reached for his sword. "… even if I have to take your life myself…"

He pulled his sword from its sheath, spun it, and tried to stab his _"former friend"_. Sai intervened by stopping Sasuke's arm.

"Sai…" Sakura blurted.

"I have to tell you something… I was originally sent here to kill Sasuke," he revealed. "… but now, I want to take you back to the Leaf Village to protect the bond you share… I still don't have a very good understanding of it myself, but you… Sasuke, you should know why Naruto and Sakura chase after you with a passion."

Sasuke responded, "Sure I know, that's why I severed those bonds… I have other bonds that I carry forged through hatred. All my other bonds caused me to lose focus and weakened my strongest wish… my greatest desire…"

Naruto spoke up, "If that's true… then… at that time… why didn't you kill me?"

Sasuke scoffed, "That doesn't matter… because now… I'll kill you at a whim."

Sasuke looked to Sai and commended him on stopping him properly before sending several volts of electricity through their bodies. Both fell to ground near unconscious. This was a sign that he meant business.

Sasuke looked to the two remaining. It was as if he was daring them to try their luck. Not backing down, Sakura charged with the full intent of stopping Sasuke herself. With a vicious look in his eye, Sasuke was prone to attack. Realizing his intentions, Yamato threw himself in front of her and was stabbed through the chest.

Sasuke forced Yamato back and pinned him to the wall. Sakura grabbed her axe and swung it downward. Sasuke quickly pulled his sword from Yamato and avoided having his arm cut off. He swung it at Sakura and she backed off in time to avoid having her throat cut. Like a madwoman, she began wildly swing her giant axe about with great speed and force. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't good enough. With a slight opening Sasuke rushed in and kicked her in the stomach through the rubble. He then pinned Yamato back to the wall with his "Chidori Sword". The sound of Naruto shuffling to his feet in an awkward manner caught his attention and he locked eyes with him…

Naruto found himself in the familiar wet and dreary place in front of a giant cage. He slowly met with giant eyes behind the cage as water dripped everywhere.

"**So, kit… you're here again. Tell me… who do you want to kill?"**

After a brief moment, Naruto said, "No one…"

"**What…!? What are you saying, kit?!" **it questioned as it bubbled up before him.

"Other than before, when I really wanted to kill that bastard Orochimaru, I won't be using your power anymore."

"**Oh come on, kit… I thought that we'd become buddies over the last couple of years. That and… it's been a while since I really got to use '**_**that**_**' power, your real power… You need mine as well--" **

"No!" Naruto interjected. "No matter what happens, I'll keep you locked away. I won't let anything like the incident with my grandpa and sister, or even the one with Sakura, happen again! There's no way I'm giving you control again!"

The demonic fox was stunned at hearing this, but then, with an evil sneer, **"You say that, but you don't believe it yourself, do you…? You talk big, but you and I both know that it's just a matter of time before you fail and come crawling back to me. Why don't we just skip that and you remove the seal on my cage…?" **

Naruto hesitated, "I…"

"**We're in the same boat. If you die, then so will I… I just want to ensure your safety as well as mine. I'll take over where you failed…" **

Depression began to set in and Naruto began inching his way to the cage. Before he knew it however, Sasuke appeared…

"I guess you are a monster then, Naruto… more or less. This must be the monster that resides within you. The thing that gave me such a hard time last time we saw each other…"

"**Ah, so you're one of the Uchiha… Allow me to congratulate you on coming this far… It's impressive that you've become able to see me here inside Naruto… such would be the power of that accursed Sharingan… and your forsaken ancestry." **It chuckled before saying, **"Eyes with such power and chakra even more sinister than my own… not at all unlike what I once saw in a certain Madara Uchiha…" **

"Like I know who that is," Sasuke replied.

"Sasuke…!? What are you--?"

Sasuke placed his hand on the Demon fox's nose and seriously said, "There's no way I'm letting you use this power against me again…"

He closed his hand over the fox's nose and it dispersed in a burst of bubbles…

"**Unbelievable…! To think you'd be able to suppress my power… I may not see you again any time soon, but I warn you… be careful around Naruto… because if you aren't… you'll be dragged beyond your limit and into a hell like no other…" **the fox's voice faded.

Naruto was hurled from the space within himself and back to reality. He saw Sai stirring from his unconscious state, Sakura holding her stomach while trying to catch her breath, and Yamato pinned to a wall with a blade of chakra through his chest. He also saw Sasuke leering at him as he prepared to strike with his sword…

With Sasuke's attention elsewhere, Yamato made his move. He caused several pieces of wood to extend from the ground, forcing Sasuke back. Sasuke swung his sword and cut the wood and refocused on Yamato who had just completed his seals. A small dome-shaped shelter of wood sprouted from the ground and encased Sasuke…

"Now's when we end this!" Yamato shouted to the rest of his team.

The rest of the team began getting up to their feet, still in pain. They had Sasuke and all they had to do was figure a way to return him to the village. Before another action could be taken by the Leaf shinobi, Yamato's dome cracked and from it exploded Sasuke. He jumped back to a safer distance, hopefully out of range of most of their attacks. He watched as Naruto finally stood to his feet, eyes fixated on each other. Seeing an intensity in his eyes and hearing Yamato saying that he would have to get serious, Sasuke decided to finish things here…

"Don't you get it, Sasuke…!? If you don't come back with us, then you'll have your body stolen by Orochimaru!!"

Sasuke replied, "I could care less what happens to me or the entire world as long as I get my revenge. It means everything to me."

Sasuke cycled through seals and raised his hand. Naruto could feel his chakra increase. He began building his chakra but was stopped by Orochimaru saying, "Now, now Sasuke… don't be so hasty…"

Sasuke snatched his arm away from Orochimaru saying, "I should finish them now. I have no reserves in killing them here."

"That isn't why I stopped you. It's just more convenient to let them live."

Sasuke just leered at him. Kabuto explained, "They've already eliminated one of the members of Akatsuki… If we allow them to live, then they will, more than likely, defeat more of Akatsuki and make it easier for you to get to your target, Itachi."

Sasuke didn't say anything but seemed to accept it. With word from Orochimaru, they departed in a cloud of smoke.

"WAIT… SASUKE!!!" Naruto yelled, leaping his way to where Sasuke once stood.

Naruto prepared to give pursuit but Yamato stopped him. "In our current condition, we don't stand a chance against Sasuke, much less Orochimaru and Kabuto as well. We have to pull back…"

"What…!?" Naruto turned, agitated. "They haven't gone far! We can still catch them--!"

"No!! You're a Chunin and even if you weren't, I'm sure you'd understand the risks that come along with going after them! If we make that mistake… we'll undoubtedly die!"

This seemed to sink in. Naruto didn't want to let this opportunity to slip by, but his captain had a point. If they continued pursuing Sasuke at this point, there was no guarantee that, even with his power, Naruto could protect them all. He reluctantly jumped down and returned to the sides of his teammates.

Looking at Naruto's expression, Sakura tried to rekindle his spirit, "Even though we failed this time… we can't let it stop us. I told you before that we'd get Sasuke back together and we will. Together we'll get stronger… and one day… we'll definitely rescue Sasuke and bring him home…!" she stated with a single tear running down her cheek.

Sai smiled and said, "Three's better than two, obviously… I'm pretty strong myself, you know…"

Naruto looked at them for a moment before agreeing. Though he agreed to let it go for now, Naruto was still pissed. He asked for a moment alone and entered back into Orochimaru's wrecked lair to release his frustrations. He disappeared into the darkness and for a moment there was nothing. All of a sudden, the darkness was illuminated with blue light and an earth-shaking explosion. The lair began to crumble…

"NARUTO…!!" Sakura yelled trying to run in after him.

The openings caved in as did the rest of the lair. Sakura became concerned. Everything was crumbling and she hadn't seen a sign of Naruto. She was about to burst her way through the debris but a word from Naruto stopped her. He was currently on top of the crumbling lair telling the others that he was ready to go, blonde hair and all, spewing a small puff of smoke from his mouth.

_The Leaf…_

The Hyuugas and the rest of Team Kurenai, minus the woman herself, had made it home as evening was setting in. They were greeted as they entered the gates and continued their conversation…

"Are you sure you're ok with this, Hinata?" Kiba asked.

"I-… I'm not sure," she answered. "but I don't want to have any regrets."

A shadowy figure skulked about, following Hinata's group…

"The decision to delay your answer is foolish… but if it's what you want until you tie up loose ends… then I will support you," Hiashi stated.

"Father…"

"It's better this way because it would mean that you have no distractions, and… it means that I still have some time with my complete family," he then said before walking off as if he hadn't.

The hidden figure decided to make their move. It jumped from the shadows right at Hinata. At the last second, she picked up on the presence of another. Instinctively, she activated her chakra shield and the figure splattered against it like a bird on a streak-free window. It then dropped to the ground on its back, giving the group a better view…

"Is that…?" Neji started.

"Yuuki…?" Hinata finished.

Kiba laughed up a storm at the sight of her out on the ground and the replay of the moment that led to it. Still a little out of it, Yuuki sat up. She finally realized that she was met with the hot gaze of Hinata and company. She also noticed that Kiba was having the time of his life laughing so hard that he was ready to cough up his lungs. She growled and was about to jump on him, but…

Hinata spoke, "I-I'm sorry Yuuki. I had no idea that it was you. I just reacted," she explained.

"It's alright," Yuuki assured with a smile on her face.

"What were you up to?" Neji asked.

Still smiling, Yuuki told them, "My brother's out on a mission and everyone else is so busy. I'm _**so~o**_bored!"

"The village is rather large… Surely there's something you could've found to keep yourself preoccupied," Shino stated.

"That's just the thing… there's so much in this village, but I can't think of anything fun other than getting into mischief. Without my brother or Sakura around, I've done nothing but get into trouble… I've been yelled at so many times by Granny Tsunade for so many things like bothering Kakashi sensei in the hospital, persuading guys to give me free things, and the worst was when I wouldn't let her have her _'alone time'_."

Kiba stopped laughing to catch his breath and say, "You're nothing but a nuisance, you know… You're even worse than Naruto all those years ago…"

Yuuki childishly stuck out her tongue at him and puffed up her cheeks. She then ignored him and anything else he might have had to say.

"Anyway," she continued. "I'm so glad to see you!" she hugged Hinata.

"Y-… you are…?"

"Yeah…! I've been looking forward to catching up and having fun with you!" she exclaimed as her eyes sparkled.

"O-… ok…" Hinata nervously agreed. "What… what do you want to do?"

With an almost evil-like glint in her eye, Yuuki proclaimed, "I say we have a girl's spa day tomorrow! We'll go all over the village and try this and that, and then we'll top it off with a trip to the bathhouse!"

What had Hinata gotten herself into?

_The next day… _

Yuuki showed up at the Hyuuga estate bright and early. She let Hinata and Hanabi get dressed before she dragged them out on the town. Before the fun could start however, Hinata had to check in with her master. They headed for the Hokage Tower and to the Hokage's office. Tsunade opted for Hinata to take the day off and that instead of her, she'd have some help from Yuuki.

Slyly, Yuuki argued, "Alright grandma… I'll give you a hand with whatever you need. Any errand you want me to run, I'll just create a shadow clone to do it so that I can keep you company… _all… day_… _long_… You won't have a moment to yourself…"

"Have fun girls," Tsunade granted as she smiled and waved them off.

In disbelief that the Hokage had been bested by the young girl so easily, the girls left to begin their day together. They started with just looking around but decided to stop in at some shops. They tried different hairstyles and several outfits, many being fairly embarrassing to Hinata. Hinata refused to buy any of these embarrassing and provocative clothes, and then the three took a timeout for lunch. After a surprising amount of stacked plates of food, at least to Hanabi, they got back out there. Unsure of what else to do, or what other cutely embarrassing things she could get Hinata to do, Yuuki decided to wing it. The next interesting place that they came to would be the next activity they tried. It just so happens that the next place that caught Yuuki's big blue eyes was…

"The public bathhouse…?" Hanabi inquired.

"But… we have a more private one back home. I'm sure it would be alright if--"

Hinata was cut off by Yuuki grabbing her and her sister by their wrists. She dragged them inside and that's all she wrote. Yuuki wouldn't take no for an answer now, even when it came to Hinata undressing herself. Yuuki and a couple of clones pinned Hinata to the floor and forcefully undressed her. Before anything could be said or done, Hinata had no article of clothing and had no choice but to wrap herself with a towel. Reluctant, she followed Yuuki and her sister into the bath.

The water was nice and relaxing. It was rather enjoyable, or it would have been had it not been for a handful of girls and women staring in Hinata's direction. This made her a bit uncomfortable, and the worst was Yuuki who appeared to be thoroughly analyzing her chest.

It was late in the afternoon when Team Kakashi finally returned. Naruto and Sakura seemed happy to be back.

"It's nice to be back," Sakura said. "I hope Yuuki wasn't too upset that we left her here alone."

"Yeah, I'm glad to be back too," Naruto said but thought, _"Why do I have the feeling that I'm gonna have trouble for the problems she probably caused."_

Yamato left to report to the Hokage and Sakura offered to accompany him since she was heading there herself.

"See you guys later… Be nice to each other and get along, ok," she teased.

Naruto nervously smiled at this suggestion. He kept it up as she got further and further away. Sai saw this and became curious…

"Naruto… you like Sakura, don't you…?" he asked. Naruto raised an inquiring eyebrow. Sai then asked, "Do you love Sakura?"

Naruto looked awkwardly shocked. "Whaaaa-…!?" he questioned in disbelief.

"It's just… you always smile around her. I read in a book that this was a sign that someone liked another… Have you ever told her how you feel?"

For a while, Naruto didn't say anything. Then, "Even if I do… it wouldn't be right because then I'd be abandoning my promise."

He then walked off, leaving Sai to his own devices and a state of confusion. He walked through the village in search for something to satisfy his rumbling tummy. He picked up on a familiar chakra signature close by and headed there. There he found Yuuki standing outside the bathhouse. She noticed him as well and ran to greet him with a flying hug.

"So, what have you been up to?" he asked.

Yuuki's eyes drifted to the side as she avoided eye contact. "Oh, a little of this, a little of that," she tip-toed around the truth.

She turned to see Naruto leering at her. She didn't know how long she could hold out if he kept it up. She was just about to crack when Naruto began sniffing her.

"Wha-… What are you doing, brother?"

After sniffing her a little more, Naruto replied, "You've got another scent on you… one that I'm sure I've smelled before," he pondered.

With a wicked smile on her face, Yuuki said, "So you recognize this scent, huh…? You must've taken in a mighty big whiff," she taunted as she knew who this specific scent belonged to.

Naruto noticed that the scent had grown stronger with a slight breeze, but it came from behind…

"Yuuki… What did you do with my clothes? Why did you leave this--?"

Naruto quickly turned and there stood a surprised…

"Hinata…?"

Hinata was beyond embarrassed to be seen like this. Instead of being fully clothed in her comfortable baggy clothes, she had to wear some that was left behind by Yuuki as a surprise gift or some cruel joke. She wore a white skirt long enough to cover her thighs halfway, but, since she had such short sandals, she showed a lot more leg than she was comfortable with. Her top was better. At least it properly covered her, but it was so tight. It was a small blue, sleeveless kimono tied with a white sash and designs of a curling wind. She was afraid that if she even blinked the wrong way she would bust out, and what made the situation worse was that one of the people in the entire world that she feared to see her this way was right in front of her…

"Na-Na-Na-Na-Na-… Naruto…!" she awkwardly stuttered.

Not once but twice had Naruto seen Hinata "out of character". First was the form-fitting robe from her grandma's village, and now this. What if he got the wrong idea of her, that she was the kind of girl that flaunted her body to get attention?

"I didn't expect to see you here," Naruto exclaimed. "What are you up to?"

Hinata shakily began, "W-w-we-we… we're…"

"We're having a 'girls' day out'," Hanabi finished.

"Oh… well, have fun," Naruto told them as he turned to leave.

Hinata hesitated but called out, "Na-Naruto… wait…!"

He turned back around as she reached for him, and her sash untied and her top flapped open. Everyone was speechless as they got an eyeful of a black bra and cleavage they had never seen before. As soon as she realized, Hinata tried her best to cover up…

"_H-how embarrassing,"_ she blushed.

She was afraid of what Naruto might think of her now. Maybe he thought that she thought she could only get his attention by flashing him a little. She didn't want him to think of her that way. Her eyes were closed tightly but she peeked up at Naruto whose back was turned. She was beginning to panic because she couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Yuuki was chuckling at the situation. Hinata busted out of the cute little outfit she had gotten her as a present, and now her big brother had turned away from the sight with a blush and a nosebleed to match. It was surely something to see…

"Na-… Naruto…"

Before she could say anything, Naruto untied his sash, pulled off his black vest, and unzipped his hooded white shirt. Hinata's eyes widened at this action. She hadn't seen him shirtless since that time during the Chunin Exams, and even then it was an impressive sight. Her entire face was engulfed in a crimson blush as Naruto handed her his shirt. She graciously accepted this gesture and slipped on Naruto's shirt as he shyly shifted his gaze from her.

"I… I can't… get up," Hinata struggled to stand.

"Oh… heh heh… I forgot that my shirts are weighted," Naruto realized and sheepishly chuckled. "Here," he offered to help her after putting his vest on.

Naruto squatted down in front of her, signaling Hinata to climb onto his back. Timidly, Hinata did so. She continued blushing as she put her arms around Naruto's neck and he locked his arms around her legs as he stood. She couldn't remember a time she had ever been so close to him. She wanted to nuzzle the back of his warm neck but fought the urge to be so aggressive. She was snapped from these kinds of thoughts by the loud growling of what she assumed to be a pack of vicious beasts…

"Heh heh… Looks like it's dinnertime," Naruto and Yuuki grinned.

"It is getting dark… What should we do?" Hanabi asked.

The second she did, Naruto and Yuuki looked at each other with the same thing in mind. They were about to outburst, but Naruto stopped to ask Hinata and Hanabi what they wanted instead. They left the choice up to Naruto and Yuuki and so…

"RAMEN…!!" Yuuki happily exclaimed.

The group made their way to" "Ichiraku's Ramen" stand, Naruto carrying Hinata the entire way. Naruto sat her on a stool and sat on one beside her. She had a hard time moving even a little bit…

"Um… Naruto… I'm sorry I was such a burden that you had to carry me… Was I heavy?"

"No," he responded. "I often forgot you were there until I remembered that your arms and legs were around me," he smiled at her.

"Ah… You're here again Naruto… and I see you brought your sister. And this must be," Teuchi, the owner, paused as he looked at the Hyuuga sisters. "… your girlfriend and her sister," he jokingly pried.

Naruto and Hinata's faces turned bright red at this. Hanabi and Yuuki, however, were amused by it. Yuuki was greatly pleased by what the owner said and Naruto and Hinata's reactions. She had a big broad smile on her face and fought the urge to laugh.

Naruto was going to object to the owner's train of thought but didn't due to Yuuki impatiently placing her order. Hanabi followed and then a still blushing Naruto. His gaze shifted to a blushing Hinata who looked lost in thought as she stared at her hands in her lap. She then snapped to and shakily placed her order.

"Ok… your order will be ready shortly, Naruto and his cute girlfriend," Ayame playfully teased.

"She's not…!" Naruto refrained from finishing this sentence after a slight glance over to Hinata who was back to blushing and shyly avoiding eye contact.

He shut his trap and sort of pouted in his seat. Yuuki was loving this. This had been the best day ever and if this kept up, it would just get better. They were served their food, but Hinata struggled to feed herself. Yuuki was about to nudge Naruto to help her out, but Hanabi offered to feed her before she could.

The group ate mostly in silence with only the sound of slurping and the odd stares coming from Ayame at the "lovely" couple. The uncomfortable situation was finally diffused, somewhat, by the arrival of more customers. With this, the group could finally fully enjoy their meal.

After a _"few"_ bowls of ramen between them, the group sighed in satisfaction. Suddenly there was a creaking sound. Hinata felt her seat shift, and then… it gave out. She began to fall but found herself in the arms of Naruto before she knew it…

"Na-… Naruto…!"

He sighed, "I was afraid that this was gonna happen…"

"What?" Hanabi inquired.

"My clothes are pretty heavy… enough to break a branch from a tree. If it's weight isn't countered while sitting in a seat like this, the seat'll break," he said as he hoisted her up, bridal style. He then continued, "I'm sorry about this, old man. I'll pay for it…"

"Oh, think nothing of it, Naruto. I'll take care of it," Teuchi said.

"But at least let me--"

"No…! I won't hear of it. Your money's no good here," he waved him off.

After his offer to pay for everything was declined, Naruto and his group reluctantly left. Hinata had a big blush on her cheeks because Naruto still held her in his arms. She remained quiet as she listened to the beating of his heart. It was nice and gentle as was Naruto himself. She nuzzled into his warm chest and drifted off…

_There was a clearing through a group of trees. In the center of the clearing was a small hill and on it stood a figure. It was… _

"_Na-… Naruto…" Hinata muffled. _

_He didn't hear her. She called out once more, "Na-… Naruto…!" she sounded distorted. _

_This time, it seemed he heard her. He turned his gaze from the cloudy sky to look at Hinata. That's when it happened. A massive bolt of lightning crashed on the hill. Hinata was horrified. She could no longer see Naruto… _

"_NARUTO…!!" she cried. "NARUTO…!!"_

"Na-… Naruto…" Hinata squirmed while muffling herself in Naruto's chest.

"Hey…! Hinata… are you alright?" Naruto asked as she woke.

"Wha-… What happened?" she hazily asked.

"You were calling out my brother's name in your sleep."

Hinata looked up at a concerned Naruto and, out of the blue, began nuzzling him even more. Naruto didn't know how to react as she managed to get her arms around his neck. Here was a girl squeezing the life out of him in a hug but he didn't understand why. He tried to ask about it, but Hiashi showed up asking himself.

They didn't get an explanation, but they finally pried Hinata off of a blushing Naruto. Before they split, Hinata asked if she could see Naruto the next day. Unsure of what she might want, he agreed out of curiosity. On the way home, Yuuki had the time of her life teasing Naruto about the day and his upcoming "date".

_The next day… _

Naruto woke to the sounds of someone knocking at his bedroom door. He got up to answer it but noticed his tails were snagged. Without hesitation, he yanked them and Yuuki rolled onto the floor with a hard thud…

Outside the door stood Sakura growing more irritated by the second. She knocked harder and harder until it was no longer knocking. She banged on the door waiting for a response. When none came, she punched the door down and there, on the floor in the center of the room were Naruto and Yuuki. He was on his back trying to fight off Yuuki who had a mouthful of his arm.

"**NAAA-RUUU-TOOO…!!**" Sakura roared as she stomped into the room.

A few bonks on the head straightened things out. She then stomped out saying, "We have to report to the Hokage's office right away. We have a mission."

"What…!? But I have something to do," Naruto groaned.

"Then hurry up and do it before we leave," Sakura growled.

Naruto got dressed and headed to the Hokage's office. There, he and his team were informed of their new mission and dismissed. He hurried out of the building and to the Hyuuga estate. He found Hinata in her blue baggy clothes having target practice with Hiashi supervising.

"Bull's-eye…" Naruto announced, making his presence known.

"Oh… Naruto," she said surprised. "I… I wasn't expecting to see you until later."

"That… that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about… You see… I won't be able to see you later, I have a mission and so…"

A little disappointed, Hinata said, "That's… that's fine… Maybe we can see each other when you get back…"

Naruto agreed and left on his mission…

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

A series of rapid footsteps echoed through the dark, damp tunnels. They belonged to a single kunoichi being chased by two strange men in black and red cloaks. Having had enough with running away, she turned to face her pursuers.

"Yugito Nii… host of the two-tailed beast… Come with us," the tall guy with his mouth covered said.

"Tch! As if," she retorted.

Yugito was a kunoichi of the Cloud Village. She stood 5'5" with blonde hair wrapped into a single long ponytail. She wore a short-sleeved shirt in which the shoulders and arm were black while the body was light purple. Under her black fingerless gloves and shoes, she had bandages up to her elbows with beads around her left. She had long dark pants, with a design on the left leg, that stopped just above her ankles and shoes.

"Let's do it, Hidan," he told his light haired partner.

"Hold on," Hidan responded while pulling out a beaded necklace. "I gotta make sure I pray first."

"You drive me nuts with those stupid prayers you're always doing."

"Hey, I don't like 'em either, but the commandments of my faith is very strict about this stuff!"

In his hand was a three-bladed scythe on a line. He whirled it around before directing it at Yugito. She quickly jumped to avoid it.

"You've got some moves there," Hidan commented. "But that isn't saying much since my attacks are the slowest in Akatsuki and the least skilled. I seriously can't hit anything."

"I see… So you two are from Akatsuki…" Yugito concluded.

"You're the only one left," the masked guy informed her.

"Then let's get this over with," Hidan grinned.

"Don't let your guard down, Hidan… Otherwise you'll end up dead."

"No need to tell _me_ that, Kakuzu… I want her to kill me, just to get it over with, seriously."

"Then let's get on with it," demanded with agitation in his voice.

"Heh… You think it'll be that east…? You think you've cornered me…? Well, that's not the case. You see, I lured _you _here!" she announced as she signaled a few explosive tags.

The tags went off and caused the tunnels to collapse behind the two, trapping them with Yugito…

With a fierce look in her eyes, she said, "Now that I know you're with Akatsuki, I can't let you go."

"Oh look, Kakuzu… she's trapped us like rats," Hidan sarcastically stated.

"That's actually for the best. It makes things easier for us since there's no escape for her and no chance for backup."

Hearing the duos confidence began to anger Yugito. "I swear that I will _**kill**_ you!!"

Obviously agitated, Hidan ranted, "Huh…!? What'sat…? _You'll_ kill us…? It really pisses me off when people scream out battle cries like that! And when I get pissed, I get all hot-headed, and when that happens-…" Kakuzu tried to get him to be quiet but he kept on, "But when I get hot, I stop caring about our objectives and start wanting to cause some serious damage!"

"I said that's enough, Hidan… We can't go against our orders."

"This assignment we've been given really goes against my beliefs. Slaughter is the core of the Jashin faith. I just can't leave someone half-dead… I just can't get motivated to do things that require me to go against the commandments… I may not look it, but I'm a very religious guy. So, you know… not killing you would totally suck, so can't we just talk about this…? How about you just roll over and let us capture you…?"

Yugito scowled at Hidan's proposal. As if she would just roll over and die. She hunched over and from her body sprang two chakra tails immediately…

"I guess that's a no," Hidan concluded.

"How stupid can you be…?" Kakuzu remarked at his partner's goof.

Yugito transformed into a giant menacing cat-like demon of chakra. The air around them became uncomfortable. Without warning, it leapt at them. It swiped at them, but Kakuzu managed to block it himself…

"What's with this one?" Hidan asked. "It turned completely into its beast…"

Kakuzu had no time to answer since he was preoccupied at the moment. The moment was up when he was crushed through the ground. With Kakuzu pinned, the beast turned on Hidan…

"Uh oh!" he said as fire began to build in its mouth.

As it launched the attack, Hidan jumped out of its path. The giant fireball continued and blew out the wall and caused the ceiling to cave-in.

Managing to save himself and now hiding behind a large chunk of ceiling, Hidan, with burnt and tattered clothing, remarked, "HO~ott! Cat didn't get my tongue, but it nearly roasted my ass!" He peeked from his hiding place and thought, _"So this is the two-tailed monster said to be the 'Living Spirit of Vengeance'… With the way things are right now, I guess I really am like a rat trapped down here. _Heheh… It's kinda funny…"

Wanting to get this assignment over with, he jumped from his hiding place and charged the giant demon with his scythe in hand. The two-tailed beast prepared to launch another massive fireball but was distracted by something wrapping around its arm. Threads made their way over the beast and began entangling it. It thrashed and flailed about trying, to get free. In doing so, it knocked Hidan away, scratching him and drawing blood with its claws.

He crashed into the rubble with pools of blood dripping along the way. He dug himself out as the beast was being overcome by countless threads. Hidan grabbed his scythe, which was dripping with blood, and drew a symbol on the ground. He stood in its center and licked the blood from his scythe. His skin darkened with markings that resembled the skeletal structure appearing on it. He now looked like a reaper. He pulled a pike and, after an insane laugh, thrust it into his own body one good time. He shivered and shook until he fell to the ground…

The two-tailed beast began to regress. It changed back to Yugito, still in the grip of the threads. She couldn't explain how it happened, but Yugito could feel a sharp pain in her chest. She even coughed up blood. She struggled to get herself free from the threads…

Seeing that she was still moving around, Kakuzu, using his threads, slammed her to the ground and against anything else he could in hopes of knocking her unconscious, but not killing her.

Even through the breaking bones and the cracking of her skull, Yugito managed to remain conscious. Still squirming, Kakuzu took a rod from the debris and pinned her to the wall by her hands. The pain was too much for her, and Yugito finally lost consciousness.

Hidan lay in the center of the symbol he drew on the ground, and after thirty minutes, his skin turned back to normal. Kakuzu tried to hurry him, but he argued that his ceremony couldn't be interrupted. It was bad enough that he wasn't allowed to kill this time.

"Do you have to do those long weird prayers…? Can't you skip it for once?" Kakuzu said while looking at a map. "We have to capture one more."

"I don't like it either, but it's part of my religion so I have to! Skipping it would be blasphemous!"

"Whatever… We've still got one left… We'll have to search thoroughly… through the Fire Country…"

* * *

**End of chapter… **

Naruto returns to the Leaf and Akatsuki makes its move…

Hinata and Naruto's "talk" is delayed as his training begins and Akatsuki draws near…

Next chapter: Training


	6. Training

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap:**

After succeeding in the capture of the Two-tailed host, the two members of Akatsuki sets their eyes on the Fire Country. As Naruto begins his training, will he be ready in time to avoid capture himself?

* * *

**Training**

Sakura was in the library doing a little extra medical research when she heard mumblings from someone she believed she recognized. She got a closer look and found Sai reading to himself from the book, "How to Quickly Become Friends with People". Seeing this brought a smile to her face. Since he was going to such great lengths, she decided to give him a hand. She invited him to join her for the day. The two left the library and walked around the village. She suggested that he should join her and Naruto visiting Kakashi in the hospital. He followed her to where she and Naruto were supposed to meet…

"Naruto…!!" she waved, getting his attention.

"Huh… What is Sai doing here?"

"I invited him," she informed.

"Aww… I was planning on it just being the two of us… you know, alone…" Naruto hinted.

"Like on a date," Yuuki said, almost appearing out of nowhere. "but I thought you were supposed to be going on a date with Hinata."

"Oh… So you have a date, huh…?" Sakura teased. Her disposition soon changed, "And you have the nerve to try and get me to go on a date with you…!!?"

Naruto scrunched up his face and said, "It's not a date… Hinata just wanted to talk to me… probably about the dream she had."

"Oh come on, don't break a girl's heart," Yuuki taunted.

"Like I said, it isn't a date," Naruto argued.

"So are you saying that you don't like Hinata?" Sakura continued.

Sai interrupted before he could say anything, "Um… Do you… think that I could join in the conversation?" he asked with a blush. "You see… I read this book about getting to know people and stuff, and it said that to become closer and better friends quickly, I should refer to them by nicknames…"

"Heh… I didn't think you were one to care about something like that, Sai," Naruto said.

"Yeah," he nervously replied. "… but even though I read that, I couldn't think of any good nicknames…"

"Nicknames aren't something you think about, they just happen naturally," Naruto told him.

"If you're going to make a nickname, then, for instance, you can use someone's characteristics," Sakura explained. "Like Naruto for example… he'd be '_stupid Naruto'_ or _'idiot Naruto'_ or _'someone's __**boyfriend **__Naruto' _or _'cheating--'!_"

"H-he~y…"

Yuuki snorted as she tried to stifle her laughter. Naruto heard this and said, "Oh yeah, well if that's how it is then you're _'Yuu the dummy'_…"

Yuuki took exception to that and the "War of the Words" began…

"Idiot brother…"

"Stupid sister…"

"Big baby…"

"_Baby _sister…"

"Snow-top…"

"Hot-head…"

"Monkey-butt…!"

"The same goes for you…!"

"Narutard…!!"

"Um," Sai interrupted, stopping Sakura's amusement and things before they got out of hand. "… I think I got the hang of it…" He turned to Sakura to finish, "Ugly-dog…"

A moment of silence was held because… there wouldn't be time or much left of Sai for grieving afterwards…

"**What the hell was that…!!?**" Sakura roared as she tried to fight off Naruto and Yuuki to get to Sai.

_The hospital… _

"That… that was overdoing it a bit," Naruto told him.

Still angry, Sakura hit Naruto to give him a black-eye to match Sai's. "That was more than just a bit, it was complete overkill…!"

"Oh… is that so…?"

"Yeah," Yuuki agreed. "She's no great beauty, but big sis is alright…"

Not liking the wording, Sakura hammered Yuuki on top of her head, giving her a big bump. Kakashi cleared his throat regretting he had even asked what happened. With the introductions out of the way, Kakashi changed the subject…

"So, I heard about the last mission and Sasuke from Yamato…"

"Yeah," Naruto said dejectedly. "Now there isn't much time left. Sasuke's become much stronger than he was before, but at this rate… We have to do something quick!"

Looking at his book, Kakashi said, "Well… in that case… you only need to become stronger than him, right?"

Sakura chimed in, "Even as I looked at him, it was clear that the rate in which he'd grown stronger wasn't natural… After consulting my master, she told me that it's possible that he'd been using 'Forbidden jutsu' or even been taking drugs during his training… And with someone like Kabuto working with him…"

"Than you'll just have to get stronger than him at a faster rate," Kakashi said, not looking up from his book.

"I'm sure that I already am stronger than him. That isn't the issue," Naruto stated. "The issue is, how can I bring him back without killing him?"

Kakashi looked up from his book a bit intrigued, "Well… why don't we try something out and see, shall we…?"

"What are you getting at?" Naruto inquired.

"You don't think that I've been doing nothing but sleeping while I've been restricted here, do you…? I was thinking the whole time… and something came to me," he scanned the room and stopped on Naruto.

"What was it?" Naruto asked curiously.

"It won't be much use for anyone else, but I figure that this particular method is just perfect for someone like Naruto… or rather… I should say that it's something only he and perhaps even Yuuki are capable of doing… but I want to test it out on him first," he said vaguely.

"Well… what is it?" Yuuki pried.

"It's going to be something quite different from what you've done so far, but in the end… you'll develop an ultimate ninjutsu." Naruto and everyone else's ears perked up as their interest grew. Kakashi continued, "We're going to have you acquire a new ninjutsu even greater than the Rasengan… However, to acquire such power, one must spend a great amount of time and effort to do so."

"Something greater than the Rasengan…? But the Rasengan is already destructive enough. If I'm going to save Sasuke, I won't need anymore destructive jutsu. I have enough techniques that cause harm as it is… To use against that _snake_ Orochimaru, maybe, but not Sasuke," Naruto stated. "That and we already don't have enough time to spend on a long training session…"

"Yeah, but I thought of a way to do it in a shorter period of time…"

Intrigued, Naruto said, "I'm listening…"

Outside the door stood Hinata, eavesdropping. As she listened in, she knew that this would be another thing that got in the way of her and Naruto's talk…

"So, what's going on?" a female voice asked.

Surprised and embarrassed, Hinata whipped around to see Asuma, Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru. With a smile and a simple greeting, Asuma opened the door…

"Asuma sensei, you're supposed to knock first, you know," Ino complained.

He ignored her and entered the room with the rest of his team, and Hinata behind him. Almost immediately the three youngsters of Team Asuma took notice of Sai. In a friendly manner, he responded, "Hi, nice to see you…"

While everyone was focused on this matter, Naruto had a sidebar with Hinata, "You know, right…?"

With a sad expression, Hinata simply nodded…

_Hokage's office… _

A member of the ANBU Black Ops had just finished giving his report. With word from the Hokage herself, he dismissed himself.

"Akatsuki's on the move," Shizune stated. "It's only a matter of time before they pay a visit to the Leaf Village."

"This is becoming quite the problem… but I say that it's also a chance for us to take care of them. It's about time we stop messing around."

The youngsters of the teams had been sent out so that Asuma could talk privately with Kakashi. They headed to a barbecue pit to get acquainted with their new friend, Sai. Keeping his book's teachings in mind, Sai tried to come up with some nicknames to quicken the process of hopefully acquiring new friends.

Chouji introduced himself and Sai responded, "Nice to meet you, um….."

Naruto and Sakura feared what would come out of his mouth next. If it was one of taboo, he may not live too much longer. As a word started to slip past his lips, Naruto stopped him and warned him never to call Chouji fat. Sai was confused but accepted it anyway. Next, Ino introduced herself. Sakura awaited the words that would come out of his mouth about Ino. She figured that if he called her ugly, he would surely do the same to Ino…

"_With women, if you tell them exactly how they look, they get mad… so if I say the opposite, then I'll be alright."_

Sakura could feel it. She was going to enjoy this…

"Nice to meet you… umm…… beautiful."

Ino blushed and was instantly love-struck. She knew she was beautiful and other girls had told her she was as did some guys, and she was sure that those that didn't want to acknowledge her beauty thought she was beautiful as well, but she had never been told by such a handsome guy before.

Sakura, on the other hand, couldn't stand for it. "**Why the hell is it **_**'beautiful'**_** when it comes to Ino…!?**"

Naruto tried to act quickly to calm her down or even hold her back, but he had a lot of trouble keeping her from making a ruckus, especially since Yuuki learned from the last time and decided to sit this one out.

_Later… _

Naruto was racing across the rooftops of the village after parting ways with the others. The reason he was in such a hurry was because he was being chased. Hell-bent on annoying him into meeting with Hinata, she pursued him all over the village. No matter what he did, he just couldn't shake her. If he tried to run and hide, she'd just sniff him out, and if he created clones and scattered, she'd do the same.

"Knock it off, will ya…!!" Naruto shouted at his annoying little sister.

"Not until you stop putting off your date with Hinata!!" she yelled back.

"I told you… it's not--" he stopped as he noticed someone close. "That's…"

He and Yuuki followed the person to a clearing. "Kakashi sensei… what's going on?"

"It's time to train," he answered.

A smile crossed Naruto's lips. He had been waiting for the day when his sensei would actually give him one-on-one training.

"Well laugh it up while you have the chance, hahaha," Kakashi joked. "But seriously… time isn't on our side. I said that I thought of a way to quicken the training, but there's a chance that things won't go smoothly…"

"Well… I suppose it's worth a shot… and if it doesn't work, we'll just have to try something else. What'll we be doing?"

"To develop a jutsu superior to even the Rasengan, you'll need to have a command of two chakra control techniques, '_physical and spatial recomposition_'.

"O-k…"

"Just like the 'Chidori'… you physically recompose your chakra to resemble electricity, then you spatially recompose it to discharge, thus determining the strength and scope of the attack. In that sense, you could say that unlike Chidori, Rasengan is a jutsu relying only on extremely advanced 'spatial recomposition'. Since the jutsu compresses chakra by spinning it violently high speeds, it doesn't have any need for 'physical recomposition'."

Yuuki looked confused, so she just mimicked Naruto in nodding their heads in understanding. Kakashi wasn't sure that either got his explanation but figured that they were the types that learned better through doing.

"Acquiring such a technique takes an enormous amount of time and so I'll explain how to reduce that time penalty like I was about to back at the hospital… The method is… the 'Multi-Shadow Clone' jutsu."

"Huh…?" the twins questioned.

"The 'Multi-Shadow Clone' jutsu is how we're going to do this in a short amount of time. I'll explain, but listen carefully… The two of you already know the difference between shadow clones and regular clones. You make an actual body rather than an illusion, a complete copy of the user. Although I can't produce as many as you, I can use it just as well, so I know the effect it has on the user. Since you use it a great deal yourself, I'm sure you know noticed…"

"Not sure," Naruto bluntly answered.

Kakashi explained, "When you release the jutsu, any knowledge and experience gained by the clones will transfer back to the original."

Naruto crossed his arms and scrunched up his face. "I don't think I've every really noticed anything like that. I usually use my chakra sensing ability to keep an eye on things..."

Since Naruto wasn't sure if he had or hadn't picked up on this, Kakashi had them each create a clone and had them head into the woods, out of sight. To ensure that nothing interfered with this experiment, Kakashi asked the twins to dull their sensing ability. They did so as the clones ducked out of sight.

"What are they doing?" Yuuki inquired.

"You'll know in just a second," Kakashi told them.

After a round of paper-rock-scissors, the clones dispersed. That's when it came to the originals. "A draw, huh…" Yuuki revealed.

"So that's how it works?" Naruto pondered.

"Yeah… You get it now? Anything a shadow clone learns or experiences returns to the original when the jutsu's released."

"Yeah, I guess I just never really noticed," Naruto said. "This could've made my life a little simpler back in the academy," he figured.

"Yeah, maybe… Obviously this attribute makes shadow clones ideal for reconnaissance, observing the enemy's camp, infiltration, and information gathering," Kakashi clarified.

"Yeah, so let's get on with the rest of it," Naruto impatiently nudged.

"Fine… If two of your clones go through the exact same training, then you end up getting twice the benefit from it. To put it another way, if you have two clones doing the same training, you accomplish the same amount in half the time. And with three, a third, and on and on with a thousand in one-thousandth."

"Got it," the twins said.

"Something that would take two days by yourself would take only a day with a clone beside you… With a thousand clones, something that would normally take you twenty years would take about a week… We're going to start work on chakra nature manipulation. While we train, Naruto, you're to have at least a thousand clones working with you at all times."

"And what about me?" Yuuki asked.

"For now I just want to test this with Naruto. Because of the amount of chakra he has and will use, this type of training is perfect for him. He may also have to tap into the Kyuubi's chakra, and I don't want a repeat of the time when we rescued Gaara."

"Then… what am I supposed to do?"

"There are plenty of other things you could do in the village," he answered. "Perhaps you could ask the Hokage to train you or maybe train with some of the other young shinobi of the village…"

With a sour look on her face, Yuuki said, "So basically, you don't care what I do as long as I'm somewhere far away…! How can you just dismiss me like that?!" she angrily huffed.

After a nervous chuckle, Kakashi said, "Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm just trying to take every precaution I can to ensure that neither of you goes on a rampage in the village."

Yuuki's cheeks became inflamed as they puffed out. Upset that she was excluded, she stomped away while mumbling under her breath. Naruto knew his sister and how out-of-hand she could get when he wasn't around to "entertain" her and warned her not to overdue whatever it was she decided to do while he was training. She didn't say a word. She just marched off, aggressively bumping Yamato on the way.

"Captain Yamato… I… I'm sorry about my sister. She's in a bad mood. But what are you doing here?"

"Kakashi asked me to help out with your training. You'll need me to help control the Kyuubi's chakra."

Kakashi went on, "We'll start with the five basic types of chakra used for jutsu, fire, wind, lightning, earth, and water…"

"Most people's chakra nature naturally lean towards a certain nature," Yamato stated. "The Uchiha clan, for example, was full of people with an affinity to fire, and so, they were exceptionally skilled with fire element jutsu."

"So, what about Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"Well, he could already use fire-based attacks and 'Chidori' is a lightning element jutsu, so…"

"Sasuke's matched with both fire and lightning, then." Naruto finished.

Pulling out a few sheets of paper, Kakashi said, "You on the other hand are a zero. We have no idea which nature your chakra leans towards…"

"No," Naruto interjected. "Gramps kind of went over this with us before we came back," he mentioned.

"Oh… then that saves us a little more time," Kakashi told him. "So, what was your affinity?"

Naruto put his hand up to his chin in thinking fashion and looked away to say, "I think Yuuki's was… fire…"

Sensing that Naruto was trying to hide something, Kakashi pressed, "And what about you?"

Naruto nervously chuckled and said, "Mine is kind of… undetermined." Seeing Kakashi and Yamato's expressions of disbelief, Naruto hurriedly explained, "You see, after Yuuki tried, so did I, but the paper did something weird, and then I tried again and the paper split, and to be sure, grandpa had me do it again and the paper burned, and we kept on and on until he just gave up and told me to focus on something else. While I did a different kind of training, he started training Yuuki to use her element while I'm here with no idea of what mine is!"

Naruto huffed and puffed trying to catch his breath after all of that. Kakashi took in all he had said and started, "Well then… It seems that, by your story, you have an affinity for both fire and wind… It makes sense. You _are_ from the Dragon clan whose individuals can have an assortment of the basic elements, and then there's the Star clan who can actually use either fire or raw chakra to cause explosions and burn their opponents." He then said, "So let's try it again and see what reaction the paper has this time and go from there."

He handed Naruto the paper. He took it and began focusing his chakra. He then forced it into the paper and…

"Wind nature manipulation it is then," Kakashi concluded. "Shall we begin…?"

Yuuki was leaping through the village bored out of her mind. She was desperate for something to do. She stopped for a moment in hopes that something, **anything**, would pop into her head. She thought of all the people she knew in the village…

"_Hmm… I'm not very interested in any of the guys,"_ she concluded. _"That Shino guy gives me the creeps and I can have some fun with Kiba, but I don't want to be around him unless I have to… I think I'll see what big sis is up to, or maybe I'll see how Hinata's doing, or maybe… I'll spend the rest of the day annoying Granny Tsunade,"_ she thought with a devilish grin. _"But which one do I do?" _she debated before it came to her.

"Since you have an affinity for two elements already but no proper training in how to utilize them… why don't we start with one and go from there..." Kakashi suggested. "Wind seems like a good choice. With the ability to cut and sever anything, it's very good for battles… Of course… that's when you learn to make full use of your chakra nature, that is…"

"Ok… but I have a question before we start. What sort of 'physical recomposition' is used in Captain Yamato's wood element?"

Kakashi whispered for Yamato to give a demonstration followed by an explanation. He created a large mountain out of nowhere and followed it up with a flowing waterfall from its peak. "I have the ability to manipulate both water and earth," he said before jumping down.

"Wow!" Naruto said in amazement. "Captain Yamato has two too…!" he exclaimed.

"Those of Jounin level usually have at least two elements at their disposal. I can also use other elements other than lightning," Kakashi explained.

Naruto chuckled, "Then does that mean that I'm Jounin level too?"

"No," Kakashi denied. "Your level depends on your skills. It's just not rare for someone who _is _Jounin level to have at least two elements."

Naruto shrugged and sort of pouted, "Fine, fine… but I'm still not sure if I understand about Captain Yamato's wood element. I don't think I've ever heard of anything about it before."

"Well, you see," Kakashi began.

"I can only use 'earth' and 'water'. There's no such thing as a 'wood' element to begin with," Yamato finished. "I use both elements together, and by controlling them at the same time, I create a new 'wood' element to manipulate." He then demonstrated, "'Earth'… in the right hand, and 'water'… in the left," he clasped his hands together and trees began to grow from the mountain he created. "When you have two elements that you can control, it's not very difficult to use them separately… but it's a completely different story when it comes to using both together…"

Kakashi continued the explanation, "The ability to control two elements simultaneously and create a new element to manipulate, that's what's called a 'Bloodline Limit'. You know of this term, right? You remember the boy you fought, Haku…? He was able to use a 'Bloodline Limit' of ice-based jutsu. He controlled two elements, 'wind' and 'water', to create 'ice'. That's a special jutsu that could only be used by those born into a clan with a 'Bloodline Limit'. The same goes for your 'Dragon Wave' and 'Shadow Star' and other techniques you may have. These are types that not even the sharingan could copy."

With his question answered, Naruto was curious about more. He wanted to know about how Medical ninjutsu, genjutsu, and Shikamaru and Chouji's techniques worked. Pressed for time, Kakashi decided to skip it for now and get on with the training.

"Well then, let's start… First we're going to train so that you improve in the 'physical recomposition' of chakra. In this training, you're going to place a leaf between you palms and try to cut it in half with only your chakra…"

"Right!" Naruto excitedly agreed.

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Yuuki made her way through the halls of the Hokage Tower. She inched her way to the door of her office and could tell that no one was inside. She turned the knob and eased the door open. She snuck in when no one was looking and began rummaging through the desk drawers. She looked all over and…

"Aha…! There it is," she found what she was looking for.

Shizune, Hinata, and the Hokage herself were at the hospital doing rounds. Before long, Yuuki showed up looking to talk to Hinata.

"So… what did you want to talk to my brother about?" she grilled.

"Um… It's really only something meant for Naruto's ears," Hinata expressed.

"Oh come on… I won't make fun of you or anything. I'm just curious. I already think I have a hunch of what it's about anyway," she playfully teased.

"Y-… you do…?"

"Sure… I was there when you had your little _'dream'_…"

"Actually that's not…"

Not giving her a chance to clarify, Yuuki kept it up, "Oh Naruto…! I love your white hair and your big blue eyes. I especially love your big bulging muscles," she lovingly moaned, grabbing the attention of anyone within earshot. She then cranked it up a notch, "OoOh…! I love you so much…! Take me now!"

"**Yuuki, shut up and leave…!**" Tsunade growled. "**Leave Hinata alone, she has things to do!**"

"But she's about to tell me something," she whined.

"**Yuuki…!**"

"Ma-master… could I have a moment to talk with Yuuki…?" Hinata pleaded.

"Fine," Tsunade reluctantly granted. "I need a drink," she groaned as she left the hospital.

Happy that she did such a thing, Yuuki hugged Hinata, saying, "I knew it…! I love you so much! You saved me for now…!"

"Tha-… Thank you…"

"So… I'm listening…"

"Ok… but there's only one way that I'll tell you," Hinata said.

"Sure…! I'll do whatever!"

Hinata told her, "You have to be my assistant for the time being and behave while we're here."

Yuuki pouted and puffed up her cheeks once she heard this. "Alright, I suppose… I guess it's worth it if I can tease my brother with it later."

"No! You can't!" Hinata declined. "I… don't want him to hear it from anywhere else but me…!"

She puffed up again, "That's no fun… but I guess that I'll give you a hand. We are friends after all."

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Naruto and his many clones had plucked every leaf off of a large, healthy tree. 1000 leaves, 1000 clones. They all pooled their all into this training. While they tried to cut the leaves in half with chakra alone, Kakashi sat back with a good book to enjoy his little break.

After an hour or so, he began to notice that Naruto was making great progress, much more than he expected. That was good. All that remained was to ensure that every base was covered so that things could continue rolling along smoothly…

He strolled up to Yamato and asked him, "Are you having any problems controlling the Kyuubi's chakra, Tenzou?"

Yamato confirmed that everything was fine at the moment but complained about being addressed by that name. The subject was dropped as a little back and forth was being held in the group of Narutos.

"Heh…! I'm pretty good!" one bragged, showing his leaf split halfway.

"Maaan…! I still haven't gotten that far," another groaned.

"Me too," a Naruto added.

"That's because, unlike you guys, I've got talent," the same continued to boast.

"What do you mean…!? You're me…!!" a straggler pointed out.

"Are you sure we're all the same…?" one questioned while asking the others to look at how far he'd gotten.

"You gotta be kidding me," one said after seeing the near-divided leaf he held. "He's already that far. That guy's pretty good."

One of the Narutos split from the herd and approached Kakashi. He asked him if there was any easier way to do this…

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Yuuki had finally convinced Sakura to put the books down and train with her. The two were now sparring with all of their might. They wouldn't be left behind by Naruto.

"Rrrrrraaaa!!!" Sakura threw a big punch.

Yuuki ducked and landed a punch in Sakura's gut. Air and spit was forced from her but she wouldn't let that stop her. Sakura tried an uppercut only to force Yuuki to jump back. The entire fight had gone this way. The entire area showed signs of this as smashed debris was scattered about.

With a smirk on her face, Yuuki said, "Oh come on… I know you can do better than this. Get serious."

If that's the way she wanted it, then that's the way it would be. Sakura charged her opponent. Yuuki did the same. The two met ready to knock the other's head off their shoulder. Sakura threw a punch and Yuuki evaded it by a hair. She then caught Sakura with a punch to the face. Her head whipped back and dipped as a punch found its way to her gut. She saw another punch coming and received it to the gut once again. She quickly grabbed a hold of Yuuki's arm and pulled her in. she dealt a breathtaking blow to her stomach, lifted her into the air, and slammed her to the ground. Sakura drew back to deliver an earth-shattering and bone-breaking blow to her downed opponent…

"Checkmate."

"Aw, I've lost again!"

"When we celebrate the end of our next mission, the bill's on you sensei," Shikamaru smirked.

"Okay," he deflatedly replied.

"Asuma sensei…! There's something I need to ask you," Naruto called out.

"Uh, sure… What is it?"

"I need tips on how to manipulate the 'wind' element," he told him.

"You're trying to learn how to control the nature of chakra?" Shikamaru asked. "You need talent in order to master that. You sure you can do it?" he joked.

Naruto scrunched up his face as Shikamaru and Asuma chuckled. "Don't laugh," Naruto complained. "I need help."

Still chuckling a bit, Asuma apologized, "I'm sorry… but it is a surprise to hear this. And to hear that your chakra's 'wind' natured." He crossed his arms as if he was really thinking it over. "I'll tell you what… my team celebrates at the end of every mission by eating barbecue. I'll consider doing this if you cover the bill for next time."

"Hey, you're cheating," Shikamaru argued as Naruto looked to think it over.

Naruto agreed since it was for his training. Shikamaru warned him that he was getting in over his head but it couldn't be helped. Asuma reached into his pouch and pulled out his trench knives. Naruto wondered what he planned to do with them…

"These are my 'chakra blades'. The blade is made of special metal that absorbs the chakra nature of the holder…"

He handed one to Naruto and told him to put his chakra into it just as he was. Naruto watched as the chakra around Asuma's blade formed and sharpened. Naruto tried to do the same, but his came out blobby. He could feel Asuma's chakra and tried to mimic it, but it still didn't come out right. He couldn't figure out what he was doing wrong.

"When manipulating 'wind' natured chakra, you've gotta imagine splitting your chakra in two and grinding them together. Do it so the two chakra fields sharpen one another into fine pieces. The thinner and sharper, the better," Asuma explained.

Naruto kind of got it but he questioned what the point of it was. "Why use a chakra type that can cut when you're already using a weapon for cutting?"

Asuma offered to show him. He suggested that they both throw his blades at a tree and they did. Naruto's imbedded itself halfway into the tree first. Asuma's followed in an explosive way. It blew through the tree and into the boulder behind it. Naruto was shocked. He was even more so when Asuma told him that he had been holding back. This got his point across, but just to be sure…

"If two warriors of the same level fought with sharpened weapons, the one with the sharpest tool would win. The 'wind' element is the best for close and mid-ranged fights because of its offensive power."

Naruto thanked him for the information he'd given him. Asuma assured him that he would help again if there were any other questions he had, for a price of course.

Naruto nodded, "Thanks unc!" He crossed his fingers and released his jutsu. As he went up in smoke, it was revealed that he was a shadow clone. Like Kakashi had said, the information learned by the clone was distributed to Naruto and the rest of his clones. They finally got it and put it to use, eventually slicing through the leaves.

Kakashi looked up from his book, "Well… it looks like it's time for the next phase of training…"

"That's right…! Because I'm just that awesome!" Naruto bragged as he released his jutsu.

Almost immediately he began to feel weak. He began to collapse but was shouldered by Kakashi, still with book in hand. "And this would be the major drawback," Kakashi commented. He looked at him from the corner of his eye saying, "You are pretty awesome in your own way, but don't forget that it was my ingenious training method that allowed you to come this far so quickly…"

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Tsunade entered her office and sat behind her desk. She took a deep breath and just sat there for a minute. With no one else around, she then reached under the desk and found her bottle of sake. She took in the intoxicating aroma before licking her lips in anticipation as she poured it into a small cup. She grabbed the cup and took a big swig, drinking it all down in one motion. Once done, she noticed that there was something odd about it. It didn't have its usual taste, something didn't seem right. Was it her or was it…?

Tsunade poured another cup and this time fully analyzed it. She took a whiff and noticed that the original scent wasn't as strong as before. She looked at the liquid sitting in the cup and noted that it was a lot clearer than what she remembered, but she wasn't sure because she was used to gulping it down and asking questions later. She picked up the cup and drunk it down. She still couldn't put her finger on it…

She heard laughter coming from outside the window and saw Yuuki's head there. Discovered, Yuuki opened the window and let herself in. She was still laughing as hard as before while pointing at the clueless Hokage. Agitated, Tsunade asked her what was so funny…

"_[snickers]_… I… I… I got into your sake," she tried to hold back her laughter.

"Yuuki…! You're too young to drink."

"_[snickers]_… No…! That's not… what I meant," she struggled to keep in her laughter. "I snuck in here and poured out most of your sake. I then watered the rest down," still laughing and holding her sides.

Yuuki could feel her throat seizing up and swelling. She could hardly breathe and her sides were aching like never before. If she didn't die this way, then surely she would from the constant flow of tears from her eyes that could very well drown her in that room.

This all came to an abrupt end. Yuuki had been saved from death by asphyxiation by the cold touch of the reaper. She stopped laughing as a strange sensation overtook her. She turned to meet Tsunade's cold gaze. Before she knew it, she was sent through the Hokage's door and the hallway wall. Tsunade followed, not sure if she should continue the beating or send Yuuki to the hospital. She peered into the hole in the wall to discover…

_The hospital…_

Yuuki suddenly burst into laughter. This shocked and surprised Hinata since it just came out of nowhere. "That was priceless!!" Yuuki cackled. _"That Kakashi is an evil genius. Who'd have thought that I could cause three times the trouble at once… It's a shame that I couldn't beat Sakura with my clone, but at least I pranked Granny Tsunade good!" _

Hinata wanted to question this but decided to let it go. The two still had more work to do. Once done, the two left the hospital and Hinata began, "Alright… Yuuki… about what I wanted to talk to Naruto about…"

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Naruto awoke with the sound of a waterfall in the background. He slowly sat up as Kakashi said, "You're finally awake… That means that we can continue, right?" Naruto looked baffled and still a bit tired. "Well, this training method _will _tend to wear you out… After a bit more resting, we'll go on with the training."

"What're we doing next?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi pointed over his shoulder to the waterfall. Naruto's jaw dropped in astonishment.

Yamato explained, "You're gonna put your hands up to the waterfall and cut it with all the 'wind' chakra you can manage… In order to do that, you'll need to instantaneously produce massive amounts of 'elemental recomposition'."

"If you clear this stage, it'll mean that you can at least use it in real combat."

Naruto smiled and began to stand to his feet. He was ready and anxious to continue his training. He had to admit, he was starting to really get into it, as was Kakashi. Yamato, on the other hand, wasn't as enthused.

"MULTI-SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!!"

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

A monk from a temple not too far from the Leaf Village had come bearing tragic news. The "Fire Temple" had been attacked by two mysterious men wearing Akatsuki cloaks. They had unbelieveably killed everyone there and said that their next target was the Leaf itself. This was bad. Tsunade called for immediate action. They would hunt down these two and make sure that they didn't leave the Fire Country, period!

"Assemble 'Nijyuu Shoutai' immediately!"

* * *

**End of chapter…**

Akatsuki draws near, wreaking havoc and destruction on their way through the Fire Country...

The Leaf gives pursuit with thought of restricting or eliminating this menace...

Next chapter: Encounter


	7. The Brothers Grim

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap:**

Naruto's training kicks up as Akatsuki continue its search for him. The havoc caused by the duo catches the attention of the Hidden Leaf. The Hokage orders for the assembly of "Nijyuu Shoutai", an army of 20 ninja squads. Their objective is to find the Akatsuki and bring them to justice for their actions...

* * *

**The Brothers Grim**

Tsunade called for immediate action to be taken. They would not allow for these two to get away with this. They would hunt them down and make sure that they didn't leave the Fire Country, period.

"Assemble the 'Nijyuu Shoutai'!" she commanded.

Shizune ran out into the hallway and darted down the hall. The gapping opening made this a lot faster and simpler. Tsunade and the monk headed to the top of the tower and were met with 20 squads of shinobi. She informed them of their task and sent them off to complete it. They were to locate the two responsible for eradicating the Fire Temple and either capture or eliminate them.

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Naruto and a multitude of clones stood on a wooden bridge across the waterfall. Together they were trying to cut it in half. Try as they might, they were having an extremely difficult time getting it done. All they could manage were splashes and a sliver into the falling water.

"HEY KAKASHI SENSEI…! DON'T YOU THINK IT'D BE BETTER DOING THIS WITH A FEW MORE CLONES?" Naruto shouted.

"NO, I DON'T." Kakashi shouted back. "IF YOU DON'T 'ELEMENTALLY RECOMPOSE' A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CHAKRA INTO 'WIND', YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SPLIT THE WATERFALL. THE MORE OF YOU THERE ARE, THE LESS CHAKRA EACH OF YOU WILL HAVE."

"BUT IT'S NOT WORKING! GIVE ME SOME POINTERS!"

"YOU'RE NOT LETTING THE 'WIND' CHAKRA STAY IN YOUR BODY LONG ENOUGH AFTER MOLDING IT… TAKE YOUR TIME AND DO THINGS CAREFULLY… TRIAL AND ERROR. YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DO IT BETTER SOON ENOUGH. EVEN SASUKE TOOK A WHILE WHEN I WAS TEACHING HIM CHIDORI…"

Seeing Naruto's serious expression, Kakashi gave in. He told Yamato to make some more room. He extended the bridge and Naruto created more clones and got back to work.

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

"Well then," Asuma started. "… we'll start our search at the temple," he told his squad. "We'll meet back here shortly… I just have something to see to…"

Kotetsu, Izumo, and Shikamaru left to get items that they may need. Asuma made a little detour. He stopped outside the window of Kurenai and stopped before knocking on it. He thought twice about it and left. Kurenai had just come from the back room when she got this unusual feeling. She walked over to the window and looked out across the village. Normally the hustle and bustle of the villagers below would calm her, but this time she couldn't shake this uneasy feeling she was getting…

Asuma's team met back up and headed for the Fire Temple. They investigated the area, looking for clues as to who attacked it and how they managed to win. As for why, they figured that they already knew that. They found out that there were two assailants that took Chiriku, a former member of the "12 Ninja Guardsmen", for the bounty on his head. There were five points where they could collect this bounty if they planned on making the exchange. That was the best lead they had at the moment. Word was sent to other teams to check the other points while they checked the one closest to them. After a prayer offered by the elder monk, the team was off again…

_**xxxxxxxxx**_

Kakashi and Yamato watched in awe as Naruto and his clones split the waterfall. Not only that, they left their mark on the mountain as well, cutting into it. Yamato let out a sigh of relief as he finally had time for a break, but it wouldn't last long…

"Good work," Kakashi commended. "Now we can get you started on making the new jutsu…"

Naruto flashed a smile and dove into the water. He swam to shore and nearly collapsed from exhaustion. He shook off the fatigue and asked for the next step. Kakashi was about to tell him but heard his stomach growling. He decided to hold off on it and treat his pupil to a much needed meal and rest.

"Naruto, after lunch, I'm going to show you something you'll find quite interesting…" Kakashi let on.

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

"I can't believe they hid the entrance behind a urinal," Hidan complained. "And what the hell is that smell!?!"

"Quiet Hidan… I won't get much for your head, so I don't want to have to kill you," Kakuzu threatened.

"I keep telling you… that doesn't apply to me. Just hurry up because I don't want to have to stand in piss any longer than I have to!"

Kakuzu gave him a look as he exchanged Chiriku's body for a case of money. He then began counting it. Irritated, annoyed, and pissed, in more ways than one, Hidan couldn't take it anymore. He stormed outside to get some fresh air.

"Damn pissy place…!" he complained. "Piss here, piss there… The hell is Kakuzu thinking coming to a place like--"

Hidan could feel his body seize up. He tried to move but found it extremely difficult. He then heard a voice…

"I take it you're in Akatsuki… So, how're you doing?"

Managing to crane his neck and look at Shikamaru from the corner of his eye, Hidan said, "Oh man… I'm havin' a pissy day and it's being pissed to hell and pissing me off!"

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Naruto had returned to the waterfall created by Yamato, happy that his belly was full and ready to continue his training. Before they did however, Kakashi held out his hand and started to say, "I'll now go over the other technique, 'spatial recomposition'… It's when you change the shape of the chakra. You already know how to do that. And with the training we just finished, you acquired 'elemental recomposition'. Now we can move on to the next step.

"Since I already know both, then the next step should be a piece of cake!"

"If that were the case, then I wouldn't have developed Chidori," he said as he continued holding out his hand. "This… is what I wanted to show you…"

Chakra began building and swirling in the palm of Kakashi's hand. It grew until it took the familiar shape of…

"Kakashi sensei… you can also use the Rasengan…?"

"Yeah, but this is all I could do. I wasn't able to combine my 'elementally recomposed' 'lightning' chakra with the 'spatially recomposed' chakra of the Rasengan… but I'm hoping that you can."

Naruto looked confused. Kakashi explained, "Chidori is a good example… Using that jutsu, not only do you 'elementally recompose' your chakra to lightning, but you also 'spatially recompose' it to discharge, thus determining the scope and strength of the attack… It takes an incredible amount of skill to combine 'elemental' and 'spatial recomposition'. I've tried and proved unsuccessful, as did my teacher, the person who devised the Rasengan… the 4th Hokage. Not even he could do it…"

Naruto was astonished. "But then… why do you think I can do it when you and one of the greatest ninjas the village produced couldn't?"

"Heh… Whatever the fully developed jutsu created from this training may be, will have an S-rank or even higher, or it might be impossible altogether… but… I have great expectations for you as a shinobi… I believe that you're the only one that can surpass the 4th."

Naruto was speechless. He didn't know that his sensei had that kind of faith in him. After Kakashi's words, Naruto's fighting spirit was enhanced. He felt that he could definitely do it now. He eagerly created multiple clones and awaited instructions.

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Shikamaru smirked as he restrained Hidan's movement. Hidan didn't understand what was going on, but he knew it meant trouble for him. Asuma pulled a few shuriken and let them fly. They pierced his body, embedding into his backside. One found its way into the back of his skull and Shikamaru released his jutsu as he toppled to the ground.

With a smirk, Asuma began to say, "That's one--"

He stopped short as Hidan's fallen frame shifted. He stood back to his feet and began painfully removing the shuriken. "Ouch man… Who the hell are you guys?" he winced.

"Wha-… what's going on?" Kotetsu questioned.

"What's with this guy? Shouldn't he be dead…? There was a shuriken in the back of his head," Izumo said in disbelief.

"That should've been the end of it at least," Shikamaru stated.

"Tch! That kind of shit don't apply to me," Hidan commented.

"Then… is this guy immortal?" Izumo questioned.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hidan retorted.

"That can't be possible," Asuma commented. "Anyway, let's just do what we can. Either we capture him or we kill him. We just need to get it done before the other shows up."

Hidan looked over to Asuma and noticed the sash at his waist and recognized it as the same as Chiriku's. From this, a feeling of dread began to overcome him. No matter what, he didn't want to have to go back into that funky "hellhole" again.

"Just who the _**hell**_are you bastards anyway?"

Shikamaru answered, "We're the shinobi of the Leaf… We came under orders to bring you back, dead or alive."

"Is that so…? Well… it looks like you picked the wrong one to target first," Hidan mocked. "With my ability, you won't be able to kill me and capturing me won't be any easie--"

Hidan was stopped by a familiar sensation. The same as before when they appeared overtook him once again. He had fallen prey to the same technique but still didn't know what it was. He tried to move his body but couldn't and the Leaf shinobi would take advantage of the situation. Kotetsu and Izumo drew similar giant kunai and charged for Hidan. Unable to put up any resistance, Hidan felt the cold steel tear through his flesh and exit on opposite sides of his body.

"Da-dammit…! That hurts…! Bastards…!"

"It still didn't do anything," Izumo stated.

"If we can't kill him then we have no choice but to capture him," Kotetsu said.

Asuma pulled out his trench knives while saying, "Let's just see about that. I wonder what would happen if I lopped off your head."

He began charging for them. As he neared, he and Shikamaru noticed the expressions on Hidan, Kotetsu, and Izumo change. Asuma didn't understand… That is until he heard a loud smashing sound and turned to see the other Akatsuki stepping from a cloud of dirt and dust. Asuma looked for Shikamaru and found him a few feet away from where he once stood, facing the Akatsuki.

With Shikamaru's jutsu released, and free to move, Hidan kicked Kotetsu away. As soon as he did, Izumo yanked his kunai from Hidan's body, ripping and tearing it some more, as did Kotetsu's. Like before he complained about how it hurt but seemed unfazed as well.

Kakuzu began advancing on Shikamaru but stopped as Asuma jumped between them. He then ordered that his team fall back on him. They all retreated back a safer distance away from the two Akatsuki to regroup and come up with another plan. Kakuzu placed his focus on Asuma and recognized his sash. He commended Hidan on finding something great.

"Yeah… Don't you get involved Kakuzu… I'll kill them all for my religion. You can have the money when I'm done."

"Fine… Just don't let your guard down, you'll die," Kakuzu warned.

"How many _**damn**_ times do I hafta tell ya…!? That's not something you say to me. I couldn't be happier if there was someone that could kill me."

As his blood dripped to the ground, Hidan stepped in it and began smearing the ground with it. He formed a circle with a triangle within and beckoned for the Leaf shinobi to attack.

Asuma whispered to his team about their attack strategy. He then charged for Hidan. A sadistic smile crossed Hidan's lips as Asuma came right at him. He grabbed his three-bladed scythe and the two clashed. The brief clanging of metal rang out with brief sounds of tearing flesh and dripping blood. They paused momentarily as Hidan groaned, "Ah man… look what you did…"

The bottom blade on his scythe had broken off and was now on the ground. Hidan began shifting his gaze from his scythe to Asuma and noticed something unusual creeping along. He wouldn't have time to analyze it however as Asuma attacked again. Hidan quickly ran and picked up the large kunai Kotetsu had dropped and hurled it at Asuma. He dodged and took up his guard as Hidan leapt over the tendrils from Shikamaru's jutsu. Before Asuma could regain his composure, Hidan swung his scythe around by its tether. Asuma managed to block the first go-around, but the force of it knocked him off-kilter. The second come-round slashed Asuma across the back and to the ground. He got up grimacing in pain as he could feel blood drip from the cut.

Shikamaru was desperate to get this guy as he was giving his sensei trouble. In this state of panic, he found it hard to get a fix on the target. Hidan landed and smirked as he held his scythe up for the others to see Asuma's blood dripping from it. Thinking that his opponent was just boasting, Asuma decided to "fix his wagon". He cycled through seals as Hidan licked the blood from his weapon and made a break for it.

"Fire Style: Searing Ash-Cloud!!"

Asuma exhaled a cloud of smoke as Hidan reached the symbol he had drawn on the ground. The cloud enveloped him as he cackled. The cloud exploded and there was silence as it began to clear. Before anything else, groans from Asuma could be heard. His team turned their attention to him to see that he had burns over his body. Asuma's team questioned how this could happen. They then heard Hidan's voice…

"Hurts… don't it…? Divine judgment has been made… I bet you understand the pain of others now…!"

The smoke cleared and Hidan, in a different form, was revealed. His skeletal structure appeared to be shown on top of his skin, making him look like a "Soul Reaper". He stood to his feet and, showing his teeth, he told Asuma, "You've already fallen victim to my curse… Now the ritual begins… This should be fun… as the two of us share the ecstasy of each other's pain!!" he sadistically exclaimed.

Hidan reached into his robe and pulled out a long pike. He began twirling it as he flashed his teeth and laughing psychotically. Asuma lengthened the chakra on his blade, extending it greatly. He then charged. Hidan didn't budge. He sneered as he stopped twirling his pike. Asuma assumed that he was readying to counter and prepared to do the same. What Hidan did next surprised and shocked both him and the rest of his team. Hidan drove the pike into his own leg with great force, grunting in pain.

Suddenly, Asuma felt a sharp pain in his own leg and crashed to the ground. He, nor his team, could explain it. He began groaning in pain as he grabbed his leg…

"Yeah…! That hurt good, didn't it…!? Attacking the vitals is so lame! This pain is the best!! As the other dies, their agony radiates through my body! And living through it is the best!!"

His team questioned how this was possible and Shikamaru began to piece it together. Hidan smiled down on Asuma as they came to a grim conclusion. Hidan couldn't be killed and Asuma would receive any damage done to him somehow. Hidan taunted him by pointing out places he could stab himself next. He couldn't seem to decide whether to have some more fun with Asuma or just end it now. Since there were others, he prepared to put an end to the fun for now. He drew back and thrusted his pike…

Hidan groaned, "Wha-… what the hell's goin' on?" He recalled this sensation and groaned, "Not _**this**_ shit again…"

"Got him," Shikamaru revealed.

Hidan tried to struggle against Shikamaru's jutsu but couldn't budge enough to finish the job. With a little more time given on his life, Asuma and his team analyzed how they should handle this situation. The other teams wouldn't likely reach them until another 20 minutes or so, and even so, there was no guarantee that the other Akatsuki wouldn't become impatient and get involved.

"_I've got a little time before Shikamaru's 'Shadow Neck Bind' is released to figure this out. What should I do?" _Asuma pondered.

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

The training area was littered with craters and bodies. Naruto and his clones had been attempting to combine his natured chakra with his Rasengan but had little success. He was losing to exhaustion and the Kyuubi's chakra. Frustration was setting in as Naruto forced himself back to his feet to try once again. He and a clone gave it another attempt, but he could feel that he was losing himself. His tails were growing rapidly. Yamato activated his jutsu quickly to diffuse this walking time-bomb. Naruto gave in to his exhaustion and passed out. The crisis of the Kyuubi rampaging through the village was averted for the moment, at least on this end of the equation…

Yuuki growled, cursed, and groaned. Her anger was getting the best of her as she couldn't take it…

"Why is this happening?" she whined. "Do I really have to do this?"

"Well… it's either this or you could take your chances with allowing me to vent my anger," she wickedly smiled.

With several beads of cold sweat streaking down her body, Yuuki turned around and got back to work repairing the damages caused by her shadow clone and Tsunade's anger. Though she got a great laugh out of it, Yuuki wasn't sure if she would ever tamper with Tsunade's alcohol again.

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Kakuzu was indeed growing impatient. As he started to step forward, Hidan stopped him, "Back off Kakuzu… These fuckers are mine!"

"_Speech, personality, tone… his style, his weapons… I've gotta figure out what the point of them is to this guy… Everything he's done up until now… How they're connected… How his jutsu works and how to counter it… Figure it out…!"_ Shikamaru began analyzing.

After going over everything they had experienced from Hidan from the moment they met him, he finally pieced and put it all together. Kakazu looked on, doing some analyzing himself. He noticed how Shikamaru's shadow was stretched all the way to Hidan's and, with a change in seals, forced him to mirror him. Hidan tried to fight it as he was forced from within his symbol…

"_Shit! Did that bastard figure it out?!"_ Hidan wondered.

"What are you doing, Shikamaru?" Izumo asked.

He struggled to answer, "I'm gonna drag that guy out of that weird symbol he drew on the ground…! With that… his jutsu… or that curse… or whatever… should be undone…"

"What?" Kotetsu questioned.

Shikamaru went on to say, "That weapon of his… judging from its design, instead of increasing the amount of damage to an opponent, it's actually to increase the success rate of getting a hit. This means that it doesn't really matter how much damage is done as long as blood is drawn. From there he'll be able to use his jutsu to kill the enemy… by ingesting their blood… We saw that guy lick the blood he got from Asuma before he went into this state. That's not all either… In order for his _'curse'_ to work, it seems that he has to be within that symbol he made earlier… at least that's what I think since he ran right for it as soon as he licked the blood. Also, what he said once it started to take effect makes me think that, in order to complete his _'curse'_, he has to be inside that circle…"

Hidan cursed as Shikamaru continued to forcefully remove him from his symbol. Everyone, including Kakuzu, was impressed with Shikamaru and how he had put it all together so quickly.

"A-… ASSHOLE…!! I'LL… I'LL SLICE YOU TO PIECES AFTER THIS!!"

"You… you talk too much. There is no after," Shikamaru noted as he finally got Hidan from within his strange symbol.

Asuma quickly hurled some shuriken at Hidan, slicing his body only slightly to be sure that his "curse" was no longer in effect. Hidan winced as they cut his skin, but Asuma didn't feel a thing. He took this as the all clear sign. Shikamaru shifted seals again and, before he knew it, Hidan had tendrils hooked into his body, holding him in place. Seeing that Shikamaru was possibly at his limit, Asuma, with his injury, quickly made his way for Hidan. He extended his chakra from one of his chakra blades and picked up the pace. As he neared, panic appeared on Hidan's face…

"Da-… Dammit…! KAKUZU…! HELP, NOW!!" Kakuzu didn't move or say anything. Hidan began to freak-out, "HEY!! I SAID HELP, NOW, DAMMIT!!"

A smile crossed Asuma's lips as he knew it was too late. He swung his blade and blood splattered to the ground…

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Ino and her squad had made it to one of the exchange points. They had been waiting for several minutes.

"Are they coming?" Chouji asked.

"This was one of the points we were informed about the potential of them coming to," Ino said. "There are other teams covering the others, so all we have to do is sit and wait…"

"I wish that they'd hurry up," Chouji said.

Ino agreed but what she was thinking, _"I'm not sure if I want to run into those guys. From what we've been told, they sound kind of scary… I hope Shikamaru and Asuma sensei are ok…"_

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Blood splurted from Hidan's neck as his head hit the ground and rolled. Shikamaru released his "Shadow Sewing" technique and Hidan's body collapsed, lifeless, to the ground. The team let out a sigh of relief as that was one down and one more to go. Should they risk it with both Shikamaru and Asuma's condition, or should they try to retreat?

Kakuzu walked over to Hidan's head and said, "You should've asked for my help before this happened."

"Dammit, don't fuck with me…! You let this happen on purpose!!" the team was shocked to here this.

Hidan's head was still alive, and Kakuzu was talking to it, "That's why I told you not to let your guard down," Kakuzu criticized. "You were the one telling me not to interfere at all."

"FUCK OFF, YOU BASTARD!!"

"Is it really wise to yell at the only one that can help you in your current situation?"

Hidan thought about this and bit his lip. He then changed his tone as he pleaded with his partner to help him out since he couldn't help himself. Almost as if reluctant, Kakuzu reached down and grabbed Hidan by his hair. With Hidan complaining about this, he made his way over to his headless body. As they neared, Hidan continuously cursed Asuma for doing this to him. The Leaf shinobi just couldn't explain what was going on any longer…

"Even if he is immortal, he can't do anything like that," Shikamaru assured as he had a hard time getting back to his feet.

Kakuzu looked at this and back at Asuma who stepped between him and Hidan's body. Without warning, Kakuzu shifted and kicked Asuma out of the way. Asuma slid across the ground as he didn't know what had hit him. Izumo and Kotetsu were about to attack but thought again about this. Kakuzu lifted Hidan's body and placed his head on the neck. From his sleeve, something that looked like thread appeared and sewed Hidan's head back on…

"Since you asked for my help, I'll be involved in this battle from here on out," Kakuzu told his stubborn partner.

Done, Hidan began to test how well his neck could hold up. The Leaf shinobi were horrified to see that he now had full mobility of his body once again. Kakuzu took command. He told his partner to stick to a one-on-one fight with the bounty while he took on the others.

Taking the hint that the fight was on, Kotetsu and Izumo kicked it off. Kotetsu pulled out a scroll as Izumo cycled through hand-seals. They charged as a giant conch shell-like weapon appeared from the scroll. Kotetsu picked up his speed and charged ahead of Izumo. He swung his weapon and, in "Matrix-like" fashion, Kakuzu ducked this attack.

"Water Style: Syrup Capture Field!" Izumo spewed a sticky substance from his mouth just as Kotetsu's attack missed.

Kakuzu became stuck and his movements restricted by this substance. Kotetsu made a round-about to attack him once again. Kakuzu slipped his sleeves back, revealing his arms and a thread that seemed to come alive from them. Kotetsu was too close and couldn't avoid capture as the thread-like tendrils wrapped around him with Kakuzu's hand grabbing him around his throat. His other arm went for Izumo who, like someone running from a monster in a horror movie, did all he could to avoid the same fate.

Asuma was determined to help his team, but he couldn't just leave Hidan to do as he pleased. He swiped at Hidan with his chakra blade but missed. Hidan jumped back and tossed his scythe. Asuma ducked it and proceeded to get back to his feet. As he did, a smile crossed Hidan's lips. With a warning from Shikamaru, Asuma realized why he had smiled. Asuma "hit the dirt" as Hidan's scythe came back for another try. It missed and found its place in Hidan's abdomen.

A bit shaken, Asuma looked up at the immortal. Hidan looked down on him, arched an eyebrow, and jeered at him. Asuma realized why he did this as he violently coughed up blood. He keeled over holding himself as pain surged through his body. Shikamaru tried his best to get to his feet and help his sensei but his exhaustion was getting the better of him. Asuma looked up with contempt as Hidan flashed his sadistic smile. He was in too much pain to stop this man, and, other than Shikamaru, the other two members of his squad had been reduced helpless as well. Hidan lifted his arm with the pike in his hand. He let out a psychotic shriek as he plunged the pike into his chest. Asuma winced as he could feel the pain from this overtake him. Shikamaru had tried his best to stop this before it was too late but fell short right next to his sensei. Tears began to fall from his eyes as he watched his sensei collapse.

With a look of sick pleasure, Hidan said, "Oh yeah… That hit the spot…" reverts back to normal. "I'm done here Kakuzu."

Shikamaru crawled his way over to Asuma's fallen frame. He tried to hold back the tears but found it difficult. He shook violently as he tried to contain his rage. Hidan stepped forward and, looming over him, said, "Time for some more fun…"

He pulled the pike from his body and prepared to stab Shikamaru with it. With angry eyes, Shikamaru turned up to Hidan. As he prepared to strike, he noticed a crow unusually flying right for him. Kakuzu was the same as an entire flock came at them and attacked them. Kakuzu began to release his hold on Izumo and Kotetsu, but before he could, he barely noticed a black sword coming at him from within the black flock. He slightly avoided being stabbed in the eye as he fully released his captives and jumped out of the flock. Shikamaru gritted his teeth as Hidan did the same…

"Shikamaru…! We've come to help you!" Ino shouted as she landed next to him and readied to provide protection.

He was snapped out of his momentary fit of rage as he heard Ino's voice. Coming back, he frantically searched for Asuma who had been picked up and taken to safety by Chouji. With all of his remaining strength, he followed. He caught up to them, collapsing beside them. This was for the best since he would just hinder his comrades in this fight in his current condition.

"Quick, Ino…! Use your 'Medical jutsu' to help Asuma, if even a little. While you're doing that, we'll rush him back to the village!" Shikamaru told her.

Ino started as Chouji and Shikamaru positioned themselves to carry him. Before they could however, Kakuzu caught up to them saying that he wouldn't let them take his bounty.

Aoba jumped out front and told them, "We'll buy you some time… As soon as you get the chance, get Asuma out of here!"

Hidan began boasting about how he had already made Asuma a sacrifice and how the others would receive the same fate. However, he was interrupted. From the perspective of the Leaf shinobi, it looked as if he was talking to a voice in his head. Kakuzu commanded that they follow orders and leave as they were told. Reluctant and not too happy about it, Hidan did as he was told. The two retreated after warning that they would return. Raidou and Aoba were about to give chase but had other pressing matters to attend.

Weakly, Asuma spoke up, "That's ok guys… even I can tell that this is gonna be it for me…"

"Don't say that!" Shikamaru told him. "As long as you have a pulse, there's still a chance for you to make it!"

Asuma gave a faint smile before looking at Ino. He could tell that she had too realized how hopeless the situation was. "I think I finally understand… why the 3rd… did what he did… even if I am a little late…… Listen up… these are my final words of advice…" He shifted his fading gaze to Ino. "Ino… you're a strong willed… reliable girl… Both Chouji and Shikamaru are … kind of clumsy, so… take care of them… Also… don't lose to Sakura in ninjutsu _or_ love…"

Tears streamed down her face as she said, "Yes sensei…" she held back her sobs.

"Chouji… you're a gentle guy… You think the world of your friends… and that's why… you'll become a very strong shinobi… Always believe in yourself." Chouji nodded as tears started falling from his eyes. "And you… Shikamaru… you have a sharp mind… and your ninja sense is first rate… You have the potential to become Hokage if you chose… but it'd probably be _'too troublesome'_ for a slacker like you… Heh… It's no wonder I never beat you in Shougi once…… And about that talk we had about the 'King'… I'll tell you… Come closer…"

Shikamaru leaned in and Asuma whispered into his ear. Shikamaru was shocked. He finally got why Asuma had put himself in harms way during their fight.

"I'm counting on you… Shikamaru…… There's one last thing I want before I go… I'd really like a smoke… The cigarettes are in my pouch… I'd appreciate it if you helped me out…"

Shikamaru granted his sensei's dying wish. He placed a cigarette in his mouth and lit it for him. As he inhaled deeply and exhaled his final puff of smoke, the memories of Team 10's, Team Asuma's, days together flooded their heads. As his life and his cigarette were finally extinguished, Asuma was gone. Ino began sobbing into his chest and Chouji began crying as well. As it began raining, Raidou took his black cloak and placed it over Asuma's corpse. Shikamaru shakily stood to his feet and walked off a short distance away from the others. He had grabbed Asuma's cigarette and re-lit it for himself. He coughed from the smoke saying, "I knew smoking wasn't for me… The damn smoke gets in my eyes…"

The rain masked his tears and covered the land as if the sky was weeping as well…

* * *

**End of chapter…**

Akatsuki makes their presence known and the Leaf suffers a casualty…

After hearing of Asuma's death, how does the Leaf take it?

Next chapter: Reaction


	8. Justice?

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap:**

Akatsuki appears in the Fire Country as they continue their quest for _all _the tailed-beasts. They are confronted by a squad of Leaf shinobi led by Asuma. This proves tragic as Asuma is killed in the encounter. The Akatsuki then escaped, leaving the Leaf shinobi to truly feel the sting of defeat...

* * *

**Justice?**

Naruto was a bit upset that it had begun raining. This was delaying his training. He figured that it must be alright however since he could use the much needed rest, as could Yamato. Naruto looked up at the dreary weather. It was really pouring. Normally Naruto felt a bit at ease when it lightly rained as it was, but this time something seemed off. He then realized that something familiar that he normally felt was gone. A sad expression appeared his face as Kakashi asked why this was. After asking Naruto what was wrong, he had walked out into the rain. He looked into the sky and closed his eyes for a moment. He made some hand-seals and slowly opened his eyes a few moments later. Kakashi and Yamato questioned this. They then felt a slight rumble in the earth. What followed horrified them…

Kurenai stood at her window. She watched as each drop of rain fell from sky. She looked down and gently patted and rubbed her stomach with a slight smile on her face. She looked back up at the dreary sky and turned back into her apartment.

After scolding Yuuki on her little trick with her, a cloaked Sakura, Yuuki, and a nervous Hinata made their way through the rain. Their destination, the training area Naruto was currently at. As they neared, Yuuki shuddered. She could feel this strange source of energy that she faintly remembered. They got within enough distance to see something shocking…

Naruto was standing out in the rain with a black, almost aura-like energy around him. He growled and roared as it whipped about around him. Two white tufts appeared on top of his head and instantly turned completely black. His white hair shortly followed as did his tail. As his fangs sharpened, his eyes darkened. He looked like a monstrous beast howling in the rain. Chills shot down their spines as he stopped yowling and shifted his gaze to Kakashi and Yamato, who was activating his jutsu to stop the Kyuubi's chakra…

"_This chakra… It doesn't feel right, even for the Demon fox… There are traces of it in the chakra… but is it really a result of the Fox?"_ Yamato pondered.

"That chakra," Yuuki whispered. "This is bad…"

Naruto took a step towards the two Jounin and Yamato immediately had his wooden figures go for him. Many of them wrapped their jaws around him and his chakra's pressure lightened. A few growls from him were all that could be heard…

Suddenly, Yamato's wooden figures were blown back and destroyed by a release of pressurized wind and water. Before they could even think of reacting to this, Naruto appeared between them and snatched them up with his tails…

"_A 'space-time jutsu'…?"_ Kakashi wondered.

Before another thought could pass through his mind, Kakashi and Yamato were slammed to the muddy ground. He then smashed them together and then back into the mud. He lifted them up and held them in the air. Kakashi and Yamato began to feel weak. It was as if they were losing strength when they needed it most. A vicious smirk crossed Naruto's lips but changed when…

"NARUTOO--O!!" Sakura screamed as she ran from her hiding place. "STOP THIS…!! I KNOW YOU DON'T MEAN TO DO THIS!! IF IT'S YOU, I KNOW YOU CAN TAME THAT MONSTER IN YOU!!"

Naruto's smirk had disappeared. All that was left was a cold look that he geared towards Sakura. He slammed the two Jounin into the mud once more, still keeping his hold on them. He began slowing advancing towards Sakura. She didn't budge as he picked up the pace until he was running at her. As he dragged the two Jounin through the mud, Sakura was beginning to think that this was a bad idea. It was too late to run as Naruto was on her in a heartbeat. He reared back and thrusted his palm at her…

Sakura fell back into the mud. She blinked in disbelief since she didn't seem to be harmed. She looked up to see a shield of chakra between her and the unusual Naruto. It disappeared and Naruto came after her again. Two more chakra shields appeared between them, but almost as quickly as they appeared, they were gone. Sakura was silent as she watched Hinata drop out of the sky and place a ring of chakra around Naruto's head. He turned and thrusted his shoulder into her. She managed to shield herself with her four big angel-like wings of chakra. As she was forced back and her wings disappeared, she managed to slip two of her chakra rings onto his wrists. She clasped her hands together and Naruto dropped to the ground. He growled as he tried to move his arms. Hinata would take this opportunity to hopefully put a stop to his rampage. She stopped short as Naruto had forced his way back to his feet.

Try as he might however, he still had trouble lifting his arms. Two Yuukis appeared and grabbed a hold of his arms in an attempt to restrain him. Hinata rushed in and placed as many of her chakra rings onto his head as she could. She jumped back to safety and cycled through seals. Once she finished, Naruto yowled as the rings glowed and he slowly began to breakdown. With a great deal of effort, Naruto finally collapsed in the mud.

Sakura was astonished. She wasn't sure what she had just witnessed from both Naruto and Hinata. Yuuki rushed over from behind as her two shadow clones dispersed. Sakura and Hinata were surprised to find that Yuuki hadn't actually gotten physically involved…

"Of course not… I may be a goof, but I'm not dumb enough to actually go against my brother when he's in that state... It's crazy," Yuuki told them.

"So you know what that was?" Sakura inquired.

Yuuki shifted her gaze, "Yeah… he's been using that power a little bit here and there. Sometimes he can control it, but that's only if he isn't so emotional… Something must've upset him…"

"I… I wonder what it was," Hinata said.

"My uncle, Asuma sensei… I can no longer feel his chakra signature," Naruto glumly stated as he strained to sit up.

"That's unfortunate," Yamato said.

"He's our uncle?" Yuuki questioned Naruto.

"No, he's…" Naruto looked at her. "Yeah…"

There were sad expressions on everyone's face. Even though they knew it was possible and could happen eventually, they didn't expect it to be now.

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

"I see," Tsunade solemnly said.

"What about Kurenai?" Kotetsu asked.

"The three of you will inform all relevant parties… As for Kurenai, I'll--"

Shikamaru spoke up, "No… I'll tell her. Besides, I have a message for her from Asuma…"

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

Naruto's training had begun again after the girls had reluctantly left. The landscape was tattered and torn. Frustration was setting in, as usual, as Naruto couldn't seem to catch a break here. He tried to keep his cool and composure, but it just got to him. This time however, Yamato was able to handle the situation with slight ease.

Kakashi walked over to him and said, "I guess that even with all the training you've put in, it still isn't enough."

"Yeah… This training is tough. The chakra control is hard to do. I feel like I might not be able to do it… With the concentration needed for Rasengan alone is crazy, but now… now I've gotta 'elementally recompose' it as well… It's just ridiculous… It's like trying to look both left and right at the same time…"

"I'm not used to hearing you talk like this. What's happened to the Naruto Uzumaki that I've grown to know…?" Kakashi looked at the bummed teen and thought about what he had said. Kakashi then said, "I think I got it… There may be a way…"

He created a shadow clone. One looked to the left and the other looked to the right. The two demonstrated this and an idea came to Naruto...

_A few minutes later..._

"Alright…! I'm starting to get the hang of this!"

"Oh… So this is what you figured out…? You _would_ use a clone to make the Rasengan, splitting the jobs of generating chakra and 'spatially recomposing' it… So I suppose that that's what you intend on doing here as well…"

Naruto nodded, "If I can't look two different directions at once, then I'll have my clone look one way while I look the other," he smiled as the form of his Rasengan grew and changed.

"_Although he got the idea from me, only he's capable of pulling this off. I don't even think the 4__th__ would've thought of something like this…" _Kakashi watched as Naruto's jutsu advanced right in front of his eyes. "I gotta say, you really do live up to your title of 'Most Unpredictable Ninja'… How should I put it…? Naruto… I'm really starting to like you…"

Naruto and his clones didn't know what to make of this. Their concentration and minds scattered to the wind… as did the clones. Naruto sat up, "D-don't say weird things like that!! I was just about to have a breakthrough, but my jutsu just blew up in my face because of you!!"

"No, no… You got the wrong idea, I--" Kakashi came closer.

"D-d-don't!! Stay where you are!!"

Izumo showed up with a message. It was about Asuma's death, but they already knew. He informed them of when they would hold his funeral. They weren't the only ones receiving this news at this time. Shikamaru was visiting Kurenai and upon hearing the tragic news she broke down into tears. His funeral had come and gone. Depression had set in on a great number of people that had known him even a little. One of these people was Shikamaru. It had hit him hard, but with a little life lesson and talk with his father, Shikamaru had gained a new resolve. Over the next few days, he trained seriously and tried to come up with a way to bring down the duo that had handed them a devastating defeat. He let his teammates know of his intentions and they agreed to join him. They met at the village gate ready to depart. Before they even set foot outside the village, they were stopped by the Hokage.

"The mission's orders are still in effect, right?" Shikamaru reasoned. "The other squads are still out there, so the three of us formed our own squad. This way, we can continue the mission."

"I'm not gonna let you all act so rashly! I plan to send a squad back to where you encountered the Akatsuki, but it won't be you. Shikamaru… if you want, I can add you to another squad… But before that, you'll have to take time to clear your head and think of a solid plan of action."

Shikamaru lit a cigarette and said, "You can send a team to back _us_ up… _We _have to do this. We already have a plan set up for ourselves."

"That's enough! The three of you aren't thinking straight. This isn't the way to do this. A team of four is the foundation of a squad. Your team captain is gone… Without one--"

Shikamaru responded, "Asuma _is_ with us."

"Vengeance isn't worth throwing away your young lives!"

"The three of us aren't stupid… We don't intend on leaving just to die… It's just that… just leaving things as they are... living without sticking to what we believe in… We just don't want to live like that 'cause it's a pain in the ass."

"You're acting like little kids who don't know any better! You know that being a shinobi means living side-by-side with death. Occasionally there will be deaths that are hard to accept… but if you can't get over them, you have no future. Don't let these feelings drive you to early graves. Before, you could hardly handle those two from Akatsuki with just four members, and now there are only three of you--"

"Then how about I become their fourth," Kakashi interrupted. "It'll be fine that way, right?" Tsunade was about to dispute this but Kakashi told her, "It should be alright as long as a capable Jounin accompanies them." Tsunade tried again but Kakashi let her know, "Even if you try to stop them, they'll still go… but if I'm with them, at least it means that there'll be someone out there looking out for them…"

Tsunade finally gave in. She agreed to allow it, but asked if Naruto's training was done. Kakashi informed her that it wasn't but that he was making great progress. He now had a new team captain and Kakashi wouldn't be of any help to him now. Kakashi had no idea of where things would go from here with his development. With things the way they were, Team 10 needed him much more than Naruto. With that said, they set out…

As they began their search, Kakashi said, "So you say that you've already come up with a strategy…? Fill me in…"

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

Sakura returned to Naruto's training area. She had information to gather and give out. After the last time, she felt a little uneasy and was a little cautious as she got closer. She remained hidden as she looked on. She watched as Naruto and his clones concentrated their chakra. Even as she approached, they kept their focus up and their backs to her.

Noticing Yuuki waking up, she asked her, "He seems so focused… I'm not used to seeing him like this…"

Rubbing her eyes, Yuuki responded, "When he's really determined, he gets like this sometimes… but I don't think he's even gotten any rest since I came back."

Yuuki pointed over at an exhausted looking Yamato in the distance. Sakura walked over to him and asked how long the two of them had been at this…

Drowsily he told her, "He trained until late last night and started back shortly after dawn." He shook himself awake and asked her, "If you're here because you're worried about Naruto--"

"No, that's not it… I do worry about him, but… I know that there's isn't much need. He's growing stronger everyday… and I should try to do the same."

"Then… what did you come here for?"

"Naruto…!! Come over here for a second…! I have something to tell you!"

Naruto and his clones looked up. They realized this was a mistake as the Rasengan began to make an odd sound. They each cursed as it blew up in their face. The clones were destroyed as the original was forced to eat dirt. He groaned slightly as he got up, dusted himself off, and he and Yuuki gathered around Sakura.

"I've come to inform you that Team 10, with Kakashi sensei acting as captain, has set out to find the Akatsuki that they encountered almost a week ago. The Hokage has assigned us as their backup. That is… if you complete your new jutsu in time."

"Whaa~!? I've been at it for this long and I've still only gotten this far," Naruto whined.

"Well, if you don't complete it in 24 hours, Lady Tsunade will have to send another team," she told him as she started to leave.

A determined look appeared on Naruto's face. He created a couple of clones and got back to his training…

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

"Oh man…! I'm so stiff!" Hidan stretched after jumping down from a boulder. "A week of sealing is too much. It's such a pain."

The two began walking through the forest…

"It is a pain, but it comes with the territory."

"Man… we did that for _**so**_ long that I forgot what it was that I was supposed to do."

"I didn't… I would like to go back to reclaim that bounty, but--"

"Oh yeah…! I was supposed to go back and slaughter all those bastards!"

"Don't forget our objective, Hidan… What's important is the host."

"Whaa~? Just a while ago you said that you wanted to go back for that stupid bounty. How is that any different from what I said?"

"Money is more important and affects the whole world…"

The two were making their way through the forests of the Fire Country. A hawk flew overhead. It watched them closely as it was really Ino. She discovered their location and relayed the information to her team. They had finally found them. They had their strategy set and all that was left was to get it underway.

They set up an ambush and awaited the enemy. Kakuzu and Hidan came strolling by as if they didn't notice. Shikamaru's shadow crept up. The two made a break for it with the shadows chasing them. Kunai with explosive tags were launched at them. They managed to get by unharmed. As soon as they were clear from the smoke, they searched carefully for any unusual shadows. Kakuzu caught notice of Shikamaru in the trees throwing more weapons at them. Since they saw it this time, they were able to dodge them.

With Shikamaru falling from high, Hidan and Kakuzu were ready to launch their own attacks. After evading the weapons with explosive tags on them, they were about to charge but couldn't move. When there weren't any explosions, Kakuzu knew that they had been fooled.

"Ba-… bastard," Hidan strained.

"What I threw at you was a chakra blade… It absorbs the user's chakra properties. Then it gives off an effect. I was aiming for your shadows from the beginning," Shikamaru explained.

"_The first move was a feint. He tied a fake tag to those blades, tricking us into thinking that we had to avoid them. Doing that while our biggest concern and focus was on the ground kept us from noticing until it was too late… This kid… He's quite sharp,"_ Kakuzu thought.

"I'll… I'll slaughter you, just you wait!!" Hidan spat.

No response came from Shikamaru. He just stared into Hidan's eyes. There were no signs of burning hatred or that of a cold-hearted killer. The only thing that could be seen in them was an undying passion.

"What's with that look?" Hidan questioned. "Don't think that just because you got us, that we're fucked…!"

"Fucked…?" Shikamaru repeated. "According to my plan, it would be over the second that I caught you," he revealed.

Shikamaru's shadow shifted and made its way towards Hidan. With ease, it connected with his. Using his "Shadow Sewing" technique, Shikamaru plucked the chakra blade from the ground saying that he wouldn't get the order wrong this time. With Hidan under his control, Shikamaru had him grab his scythe and charge for Kakuzu.

Just in time, Kakuzu forced the blade in his shadow from the ground and ducked. Shikamaru kept up the attack but Kakuzu was too quick. He created a little distance between him and his partner in order to say, "You thought you had everything covered… but it was '_over_' the moment you miscalculated my abilities. Because I actually use my brain, unlike my partner, I was one step ahead of you… Even if you analyze every aspect of a battle, there's no guarantee that everything will go according to plan."

Hidan was more than visibly upset by the way his partner talked about him to the enemy, "The **fuck** was **that **about with the whole, '_unlike my partner_' bullshit…!!?"

Tired of Hidan's mouth, Shikamaru used him once again to lead the assault. If he was sacrificed in the process, it wouldn't necessarily be discouraging. At least he may be able to gather a little more information on the enemy's ability. It would definitely be a good test if this Hidan character was truly as "immortal" as he claimed.

Hidan was forced to swing his weapon about furiously with no regard of what could happen to him. Reluctant to fight his own partner, Kakuzu found himself between a "rock" and a "hard place".

Kakuzu heard Shikamaru yell to someone that now was the time. From above, a spiky-haired Chouji attacked with his "Spiked Meat Tank". He rapidly spun and crashed down on the unsuspecting Kakuzu with tremendous force.

"KAKUZUU!!" Hidan cried as he was forced back.

Chouji grinded and grinded into the ground. He stopped and returned to Shikamaru's side stating that something was wrong. The two, and Hidan, watched as Kakuzu stood back to his feet in his ripped and tattered robe.

"He can harden his body like steel," Shikamaru revealed after analyzing Kakuzu and his actions thus far.

"That's another good analysis. You're right… no physical attack can harm me," he stated.

"Good," Hidan said. "Now it's our turn, Kakuzu. Now hurry up and break me free from this juts--"

Before he could finish, both he and Kakuzu were surprised by the sudden surprise and stabbing from Kakashi. Using "Lightning Blade", Kakashi had managed to pierce Kakuzu's "hard as steel" body, and his heart.

"H-how… the hell…?" Kakuzu questioned.

Kakashi explained, "The seals you used for your 'iron-skin' used earth-type nature manipulation. I just countered with my own jutsu…"

"Lightning jutsu of this level… agh… and… you were able to read my seals at that speed… You're… argh! You're…"

"Looks like you got matched against the wrong guy… and now you're gonna die." Kakashi stated.

Kakuzu's body trembled as his jutsu was undone and he fell to the ground after Kakashi removed his arm. Kakashi turned to Hidan and claimed, "You're next…"

He activated his "Lightning Blade" once again and charged for him with great speed. He closed the distance quickly. As he was about to deliver the blow, a fist punched him from his right. Kakashi stumbled as he tried to stop and regain his composure. Before he could, the same fist that had hit him came back again and grabbed him around the neck. It jerked him back towards Kakuzu as threads connected to his arm burst from the ground. With a kick to his gut, Kakuzu sent Kakashi reeling by Hidan and into a large tree root. He removed what was left of his Akatsuki robe as Hidan demanded that he help him out of his predicament. Kakuzu gave him a cold stare before four masks exploded from his back.

"_Wha-… What's going on?" _Ino thought as she watched as the masks gained bodies of their own.

As Shikamaru's hold on him was lifted, Hidan ecstatically exclaimed, "Fuck yeah! Now I'm gonna go all out! I'm gonna slaughter them all for you Lord Jashin!! LET'S FUCKIN'' KILL 'EM KAKUZU!!" Hidan quieted as one of the masked bodies began to shrivel up and behave as if dying. As it became nothing more than a puddle of weird black ooze, Hidan commented, "What the hell man…? That's pretty pathetic..."

The Leaf shinobi analyzed this event and tried to interpret what it meant, but neither could make heads or tails of it.

"Stay back Hidan, I'll finish this…"

"Wait man…! We've been made fools of since the beginning and you expect me to just sit back and watch… I don't think so…" He smiled as he said, "Let's do the usual…"

Kakuzu didn't protest. Everyone prepared themselves for what may come next. Hidan spun his scythe around himself before rushing at Kakashi. As he neared, Kakashi jumped back, avoiding having his head taken off. He was shocked to see one of the masked figures appearing right behind Hidan and unleashing a blast of pressurized wind. It engulfed Hidan and devastated everything in its path.

"_Kakashi sensei…!_" Ino said to herself. _"That guy got his teammate with that last attack as well… They must be using his immortality to their advantage… How can we get around that kind of strategy?" _

Kakashi had disappeared and Kakuzu turned his focus to Shikamaru and Chouji. The bull-mask opened its mouth and electricity crackled. As a flash of lightning shot at the two, Ino revealed herself in hopes of warning her teammates in time. Shikamaru pulled a scroll as Kakashi suddenly appeared and saved them with a double "Lightning Blade". The force of the previous attacks had left him and his clothes slightly dirty, tattered, and torn to the point that his flak jacket was gone as were his gloves.

Ino came running to supply Kakashi with a little medical treatment as quickly as possible. Before she could properly tend to all of his wounds however, Kakuzu's lion-masked entity began building flames in its mouth. The Leaf squad was shocked to see to see a fireball coming their way. As it exploded, they questioned just what else this guy was capable of…?

They managed to avoid taking serious damage as they separated. Hidan targeted Kakashi once again for managing to survive their first assault. Kakashi pulled a kunai and the two clashed all around the area. The clangs of their weapons echoed and were only drowned out by the thunderous sounds of Kakuzu trying to blow away the rest of Team 10. This fight was dragging out for too long for Kakashi's liking. A kick from Hidan into a tree was a sign of fatigue beginning to set in.

Hidan closed in on the downed Kakashi and swung his scythe. He impaled Kakashi with glee on his face. This changed as Kakashi went up in smoke and he felt a few sharp pains in his back. Kakashi had thrown a few kunai and shuriken at him and was now getting away. Hidan turned and threw his tethered scythe down the tree after him. Kakashi realized in time and bound from the trunk to regroup with his team. Hidan was pissed as he rejoined his partner's side.

"Are you alright, Kakashi sensei?" Ino asked.

"Yeah," he answered. "This is just harder than I had hoped."

"Well, it's because that guy didn't die, even though I'm sure that you got him. How is he not dead?" Chouji spoke up.

Kakashi responded, "Perhaps if I had gotten his heart, he would be… but what I actually got was one of those masked monsters. I think that it died in his place…"

Shikamaru spoke, "Earlier there was something beating like a heart in that mass that was attached to his hand. This is just a guess, but… I'd say each one of those monsters probably has a heart of its own and they all tie back to him. Essentially, it seems he has five hearts… Four now since Kakashi got one of them," Shikamaru figured.

The team concluded that in order to fully dispose of this guy, they must eliminate all of his hearts. While they were saying all this, Kakuzu listened as he was intrigued by Shikamaru's intellect. Once again, he impressed him by figuring out another one of his secrets.

"Since you managed to rid me of one of those hearts, I'll have to restock on some from other shinobi," he revealed. "You guys should do nicely."

"Looks like we'd be better off separating them," Shikamaru whispered. "First we neutralize their team attacks, and then we focus on killing the other guy four more times… We need to find some way to incapacitate that Hidan guy…"

"I'll do it," Ino volunteered. "I've got the most chakra left… I may not be the most skilled in straight fighting, but I can keep him preoccupied with my 'Mind Transfer' jutsu. I know I'm supposed to stay back, but--"

Shikamaru quickly dismissed her, "No way… Since you're our only Medic-nin, you should hang back just in case. Also, I don't want to risk you becoming a 'sitting duck' if you miss… I'll do it myself and get him out of the way. The rest of you focus on that masked guy."

Ino looked a bit dejected but she understood what Shikamaru was saying. It would be best at the moment if she stuck to support. Kakashi handed something to Shikamaru and he began advancing towards the enemy, watchful for any sudden movements. A smile crossed Hidan's face as the talking was now over.

Shikamaru stopped but his shadow continued forward. It branched out in multiple directions in hopes of overwhelming the enemy. The Akatsuki began jumping all about trying to avoid being caught by this technique again. While distracted, Kakashi took this chance to slip by the masks and close in on Kakuzu.

Shikamaru's shadow was losing in a race with Hidan as he began to pull away. From the ground, it picked up the remaining chakra blade and tossed it at Hidan. Realizing it, Hidan became determined not to let it happen again. It was close as Hidan jumped from the tree and into the air. He then realized that he was stuck since he couldn't dodge in the air and another shadow picked up the blade once again. As if biding its time, the shadow waited for the best time to throw the knife. As Hidan neared the ground and his shadow enlarged, Shikamaru's threw the knife. Hidan planted his scythe in the ground and, in another close call, avoided being pinned. What he didn't account for was Shikamaru appearing right next to him, connecting with a punch.

Hidan dropped back as Shikamaru's jutsu took effect. Captured once again by Shikamaru and his shadow mastery, Hidan was now under his control, no matter how much he struggled. As Shikamaru forced him to drop his weapon and led his captive away, his team wished him luck.

It was now just Kakuzu and the rest of Team 10 to hash out their problems. Kakashi became locked in a taijutsu contest with Kakuzu. Kakashi threw a straight punch which Kakuzu sidestepped. Kakashi came back with a back-chop, but it was ducked. Kakuzu tried an uppercut and Kakashi dodged. He then planted a front kick into Kakuzu's body. As he did, he felt it harden. Kakuzu then pulled him in and knocked the breath out of him with a hard punch to the gut. Kakashi crumpled to the ground and began rolling around as Kakuzu tried to stomp on him. Having a hard time recovering, all Kakashi could do was keep from being stepped on. A brief distraction and he turned his attention to Chouji dodging blasts from his masks. He was also forcibly stopped and partially controlled by an unknown jutsu. Kakashi looked over to see Ino using the "Mind Body Disturbance" technique. An attack from one of the masks disrupted this on the other hand. This gave Kakashi an opening however. He swept Kakuzu off of his feet and ran for it. Kakuzu extended his arm and grabbed Kakashi's leg. He slammed him to the ground a couple of times before hurling him deeper into the forest.

Kakuzu turned his attention to Chouji who had just managed to avoid an onslaught from the masks. Through the cloud of dirt and dust Kakuzu appeared. He hardened his body as he prepared to deliver a punch to the youngster. Chouji noticed in time and moved to avoid being put "six-feet under". Chouji swiped at Kakuzu who ducked it and kicked him away. Chouji rolled to his feet and enlarged his fist. He punched but was stopped easily by Kakuzu's iron-skin jutsu. As he shook off the pain, Kakuzu charged. Chouji quickly increased his entire mass. Kakuzu quickly came to a halt as Chouji kicked him away with the end of his foot. Kakuzu flew through the air and crashed into one of the many giant tree roots around. Chouji went after him as he emerged unscathed. Focused on him, Chouji didn't realize that he was the target of the masks. If it weren't for Ino's warning and his quick action of releasing his jutsu, Chouji would have had his head blown off. As he returned to normal size, Kakuzu attacked with a straight kick to the gut. Chouji fell back and rolled into Ino's arms. She quickly pulled out a kunai and readied to protect her teammate.

Kakuzu took his sweet time as he slowly strolled his way towards the two Chunin. He began picking up the pace but was thwarted by Kakashi who exploded with an uppercut from the ground. Kakuzu fell back but laughed as he got back up.

"So you're back already. Looks like your numbers are a big help for you, but you shouldn't have let that kid go off alone with Hidan. You guys are seriously underestimating him and myself… I guess it doesn't really matter since you'll all be dead once this is over anyway. There's just too much battle experience between you and I," he pointed at all three. "Seeing your headbands reminds me of the first Leaf shinobi I ever fought… the 1st Hokage," he revealed.

"How old can he be!?" Ino questioned.

"Is it possible… that you're really immortal…?" Kakashi asked, dumbfounded.

"Nah," Kakuzu denied. "No one is truly immortal. By continuing to stock up on hearts from stronger and stronger shinobi before they 'kicked the bucket', I've managed to lengthen my lifespan… It seems that the most I can have in stock at one time is five, and Kakashi… I plan to replace the one you destroyed with yours!" he said ominously.

He made a motion and two of his masks, the fire and wind, combined. They then directed their even more destructive attack on the remains of Team 10…

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

"You're separating me from Kakuzu…? That's a big mistake," Hidan commented as he was led to an isolated area.

"I just wanted to take a nice little stroll, just the two of us," Shikamaru responded.

The two stopped running. Shikamaru began lining the area with lines of explosive tags. It suited Hidan just fine since he figured that it would be _Shikamaru_ that was trapped with _him_. He smiled wickedly as Shikamaru's shadow shrunk back to normal. He attacked, pulling a pike from his robe. He swung it and, even though Shikamaru had tried to evade it, drew blood. He licked it off and his jutsu activated. He stabbed his hand and quickly drew his symbol on the ground. Jeering at Shikamaru and mocking him one last time, Hidan drove his pike through his heart. He gave a single moan of pleasure as Shikamaru clutched his chest…

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

Being empowered by wind, the fire attack was larger and more devastating than before. Kakashi couldn't even fully block it with a water-natured attack. As he and his team jumped out of the attack's path, Kakuzu grabbed a hold of them and slammed them to the ground. He focused on Kakashi, saying that he would now be taking his heart. As he was about to, he felt a strange and unusual sensation come over his body and in his chest. He clutched it as he slumped to the ground.

Kakashi explained, "Shikamaru knew that the key to your partner's ability was blood and planned on using yours from the beginning. I managed to do it when I punched a hole in your chest earlier and handed the capsule containing it to Shikamaru before he headed off with Hidan."

"Im-… impossible…!"

"No, not likely… It's you guys that are underestimating Shikamaru. There's no way he would just let the information Asuma risked his life for go to waste," Kakashi enlightened as Kakuzu stopped breathing.

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

Satisfied that he had done his job and hoping that there were still more to sacrifice, Hidan decided to rejoin his partner. He didn't notice a blade aimed for his neck until it was too late. Both he and his headband fell to the ground. Hidan sat up, pissed that he had been tricked and had his neck slit, though he had lucked out and kept his head this time. Seeing that he hadn't been successfully in fully decapitating him, Shikamaru's shadow raced across the ground. It restrained Hidan before he could come to his senses.

"How the hell… are you still alive?" Hidan asked.

Wiping the blood from his cheek, Shikamaru explained, "I was playing possum. The blood on your weapon was really your partner's. That was our plan… and you fell for it."

Hidan looked shocked to hear this. This had been a bad day. He had been falling for tricks all day, and he couldn't stand that. Blood splurted and ran from his neck as he strained to force himself out of Shikamaru's jutsu.

He managed to get to his feet claiming, "It's not as strong as earlier… I can move through it. It seems that the more you use it and the longer you hold it, the weaker it gets… You're about out of chakra, ain'tcha...!?" he closed in on Shikamaru.

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

Kakuzu was down, for the moment, but his masks were still up and about. They charged the team. To protect his team, Chouji increased his size with his "Multi-size" technique once again.

"MEGA PALM THRUST!!"

Chouji smashed the attackers into the ground, crushing them under his palms. One of them had slipped by and got close enough to return to Kakuzu. As it did, the threads exploded from his body and began entangling everyone.

"It's been ages since I lost two hearts in one fight," he boasted.

The two remaining masks recombined with Kakuzu's body as well, changing his form to that of an odd looking monster. The threads bursted from his body as the masks were mounted on his shoulders like cannons and prepared to fire. No longer caring about regaining a heart, Kakuzu told them to die. Unable to free themselves, Team 10 was at the mercy of Kakuzu's attack as it blasted off…

"Drowning Maelstrom!!" Naruto and Yamato called.

A vortex of water exploded between Team 10 and Kakuzu's attack, dousing it completely. From there, Kakuzu's threads were cut by Sai and Sakura.

"Hope we're not too late," Naruto said as his team appeared on the scene.

Kakashi, Ino, and Chouji each let out a sigh of relief as they were happy to see Team 7. Yamato looked over the area, Team 10, and Kakashi. He concluded that the guy they had been fighting must have been extremely difficult to deal with. Naruto asked where Shikamaru was and Kakashi informed them that he was detaining the other Akatsuki. Kakashi summoned Pakkun and told him to find Shikamaru.

"Sai… Sakura… follow Pakkun and backup Shikamaru," Yamato ordered.

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

Hidan cackled as he raised his pike in the air. "Had you devoted your life to Lord Jashin, he might've saved you. But even if you converted now, a heathen like you would never be forgiven by Lord Jashin!!"

Hidan thrusted his pike at Shikamaru but was stopped. A shadowy hand crept its way around his body and restrained him.

"I don't need your messed up God's forgiveness," Shikamaru told him. "Shadow Summoning Technique!"

From there, multiple tendrils of shadow sprang forth. They snagged the lines of the explosive tags and wrapped Hidan with them. Shikamaru had set a trap and it was time to trigger it. He tossed his dagger at a mark which caused the ground under Hidan to crumble. He dangled over the pit cursing Shikamaru for putting him in this position.

"Just a little thing I set up beforehand."

"_So he wasn't just trying to be some kind of stupid hero… he __**lured**__ me here! But… that means that he planned this too!" _Hidan thought.

Shikamaru pulled a pack of cigarettes, formerly Asuma's, out of one of his pocket. He also pulled out a lighter and lit a single cigarette he had placed between his lips. Talking while keeping it in place, he tossed the pack in the pit and told Hidan, "You should know that 'What goes around comes around'… You've probably killed countless people with your curse, but you made the mistake of making my teacher one of those victims… Don't think that you can just go on without any repercussions."

Hidan began cackling, sputtering his blood about. He claimed, "I won't die…! This is just a wasted effort."

Shikamaru pointed to the deep hole his body hung over, "I don't really care… All I know is that you won't be able to run around freely anymore. That hole there is your grave." A look of confusion appeared on Hidan's face for a moment before a smile took its place. Shikamaru explained, "This forest is a special area within the Fire Country. Specifically, only my clan is allowed to set foot here… Because of that, no one will find you here for generations."

One last drag of his cigarette and one final memory and goodbye for his sensei, Asuma, and Shikamaru tossed the lighter at Hidan. Shikamaru dropped his cigarette and put it out as Hidan watched the lighter collide with one of the tags, setting off a chain-reaction of explosions. Hidan cringed as his body was horrendously forced to separate as his bones broke, his skin tore, and his blood and guts spilled into the dark pit.

As it settled after spatters of blood splashed around the hole, and some on him, Shikamaru approached to see the results with his own eyes. He saw Hidan's body parts scattered about the pit. No surprise to him, Hidan started running his mouth again…

He cackled, "Gyaahahahaha! Well look at this… you fucked me up pretty good, but you know what… even if my body is scattered and I only have my head, I'll find a way out of this hole and rip out your throat! You will feel the wrath of Lord Jashin as he punishes you for what you've done. Even if you repent, you won't escape Lord Jashin's 'divine judgment'!"

As Shikamaru emotionlessly looked down at him, he pulled a kunai with more explosive tags. As he did this, he said, "Like I'm afraid of something like that. You and me believe in different things… I believe in the 'Will of Fire'. I have to say though, you say this Lord Jashin or whatever is your God, but you're wrong… Right now, I'm your God and I'll deal you my judgment."

Shikamaru added the explosive tags to the kunai and threw it to the pit wall. It stuck and instantaneously caused it to cave-in. Even as this occurred and stones began blanketing him, Hidan continued to talk about _"judgment"_ and _"wrath"_. Unfazed, Shikamaru watched as Hidan was finally silenced.

His job done, Shikamaru looked to be in a daze until he was gently nudged by a deer. Sakura and Sai showed up as Shikamaru began petting it.

"Oh, Sakura…"

"Shikamaru…! Are you alright?! Where's that guy from Akatsuki?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine… You guys are a little late."

"Wait… you don't mean…"

"You defeated an Akatsuki on your own…?" Sai inquired.

Shikamaru nodded. Seeing this, Sakura stated, "Then we came for nothing… We'd better get back to the others in case they need our help…"

"Sure," Shikamaru said. "You guys go on ahead; I'll just slow you down."

Sakura looked at Shikamaru and noticed that he looked a little tired. "I'll heal you now," she said.

As she began the healing process, Shikamaru asked, "Are you sure this is ok? I don't want to be troublesome… What if Naruto needs you?"

A faint smile crossed Sakura's lips as she said, "I'm sure he's alright… He's worked so hard to become stronger and I have faith in him… Just don't tell him I said that."

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

Naruto and Kakuzu traded glares. Naruto stepped forward asking to fight this guy alone. Even though he had only completed his new jutsu halfway, Kakashi was willing to give him this opportunity to prove himself.

"Another foolish youngster jumping in where he shouldn't," Kakuzu commented. Naruto quickly made a couple of shadow clones. At this, Kakuzu noted, "I see… So you're the host that we were sent to capture. I have to say, this just makes things easier…"

"Naruto, be careful," Kakashi warned. "This guy has the ability to separate himself using those two masks on his shoulders. They can all work together or even individually."

"How is that possible?" Yamato questioned.

Seemingly unworried, Kakuzu let Kakashi continue, "He does it using hearts. He had five to begin with, but after killing him twice already, he has three left. We have to kill him at least that many more times. He's also a mid-range type that uses all kinds of nature manipulation."

Naruto acknowledged that he heard Kakashi's explanation. Ino and Chouji shouted in concern as two of the Narutos charged. They watched as the Narutos tossed kunai and shuriken while avoiding Kakuzu's threads as best they could. Kakuzu swatted these ninja tools out of the air and grasped at the two running about. Frustration began to set in as Kakuzu had difficulty getting a handle on the rampant youngsters. They closed in and Kakuzu's masks retaliated. Both clones were blown away in an instant. He gloated at Naruto's shallow attempt.

Kakashi watched as Naruto seemed to analyze what he had witnessed and experienced. He was really getting the hang of the "Shadow Clone" jutsu. Naruto created three more clones after wrapping his tails around his waist. As one stood as a guard and a human shield, the others began doing something behind his back. From where he stood, Kakuzu couldn't see it as they gathered and focused chakra, but he could hear its eerie screech. He locked eyes with the Kyuubi-eyed teens as they revealed what they had been up to by raising it into the air.

"Wind style: Rasenshuriken!!" Naruto exclaimed as chakra spiraled around a perfect sphere, making it look like a giant shuriken.

Everyone was amazed to behold this sight. Kakuzu on the other hand was horrified, _"Wha-… What is that…!? I… can't let myself be hit by something like that… it spells instant death!"_ Kakuzu thought. _"This is the Kyuubi-host's power…!? It's a monstrous jutsu…!"_

The small group of Naruto charged and Kakuzu stood at the ready. He watched each carefully as two split his sights and the other two came straight at him. One jumped into the air but was caught by Kakuzu's threads. He then turned his focus to two that were attacking from opposite sides. Using his masks once again, Kakuzu blew them away easily. He was horrified as the eerie screeching of Naruto's jutsu grew louder and was stupefied once he realized that it was coming from behind. He quickly turned around in hopes that he could stop Naruto in time, but… it was too late.

Everyone watched in awe as Naruto closed in. Naruto stuck out his hand and his jutsu at Kakuzu's frame, but before he could make contact, an errant curse, a graze from some of his threads, and Kakuzu hardening his body, Naruto slipped up. He lost control and, just as he was about to follow through with his jutsu, it blew up in his and Kakuzu's face…

Naruto was blown back by his own jutsu. He fell to the ground not too far from Kakuzu. Seeing his chance, Kakuzu attacked. Kakashi and the others acted as quickly as they could to rescue Naruto. As Kakuzu's threads sprawled about as they enclosed on Naruto, but he was too slow. As the threads crashed into the earth, it was revealed that the Naruto he had attacked was an afterimage.

Naruto reappeared in front of his comrades with a scowl on his face. Both Ino and Chouji questioned what the last event was about. Why did it look like a shuriken if it wasn't thrown like one, and what happened for it to _"blow up"_ in his face?

Naruto explained that he needed to remain focused enough to carry it through and quickly since he had only a short amount of time. Because of all of this, it was necessary to use a "Shadow Clone" feint.

Kakuzu eyed Naruto and thought, _"That jutsu… As long as he doesn't get too close and keep my attention on the original with that jutsu, I have nothing to fear…"_

The Leaf shinobi watched as Kakuzu adjusted his form. More threads exploded from his body and his mouth.

"Since this guy is dangerous, it'd be best if we handle this together," Kakashi suggested. "He's bright, so it's likely that the same trick won't work a second time. It was the same with Shikamaru and his jutsu."

Naruto stepped forward. With his back to his comrades, he said, "Kakashi sensei… do you remember what you said to me during my training…? You told me that I was the only one that you believed could surpass the 4th. I took those words to heart and I want to believe the same… but in order for me to amount to that, I have to show that I'm capable of that. I know that teamwork is important… but I have to cross that bridge by myself. If I can't get to the other side on my own, then I'll never grow."

Obviously a bit moved by his words, Kakashi and Yamato gave him their approval. Once again, Naruto would attempt to eliminate this threat on his own. He created the same number of clones. Before he could get started, Kakuzu made his move. Using his lengthened threads, he tried to grab a hold of them all. They immediately stopped what they were doing and avoided being captured by scattering. Threads and the Narutos spread all about. The threads chased them up, over, and around trees and their roots as they weaved and swerved to keep on the move…

"_If I can keep them from forming that jutsu all together, than that's even better."_

His threads followed one of the Narutos behind a tree and caught up to him. Kakuzu dragged him from behind it and tried to pull out his heart. As soon as he tried, it was revealed as a clone. Frustrated that he was being made a fool of by this young brat, Kakuzu tried to hurry the process of eliminating the original.

Kakuzu noticed two more coming at him and blasted them away. He then picked up on a bright flash out front. He looked up to see the final Naruto rearing back. This was as good an opportunity to finally be rid of this pesky brat. He was going to attack, but he realized that chakra was forming in his hand and stood his ground.

"_What's he up to?"_ Kakuzu pondered as he watched Naruto carefully.

A smirk appeared on Naruto's face as he threw his hands forward, releasing a blast of chakra, "DRAGON WAVE!!" the red-haired kid shouted.

This was unexpected. Kakuzu wasn't sure of how to react. Acting on impulse, he jumped to evade the attack. He watched as Naruto once again smiled. What was he smiling about?

"SHOOTING STAR!!" two red-haired Narutos yelled as they crashed into the sides of Kakuzu, ripping through his threads.

Watching his threads fall to the earth and the Narutos go up in smoke, Kakuzu questioned the situation, "What… is going on?!"

He freaked as a chill went up and down his spine from hearing the eerie screeching from _"__that"_ jutsu. Before he knew it, he felt something make contact with his back. The Leaf shinobi held their breaths. This time, his jutsu didn't fail. A giant vortex of wind trapped Kakuzu as it ripped into his body on many levels. Once it finally subsided, Kakuzu fell into the giant crater left by the effects of the attack while Naruto landed on the outer rim.

"_The amount of damage dealt in that one attack… Even with the sharingan, I couldn't see it all… What a jutsu," _Kakashi thought as he walked over to the crater and peered in.

He noticed that there was still a bit of life left in the enemy's broken body. He left Naruto to Ino and the others while he headed into the crater.

"Uhh… F-… for me to be beaten… by a bunch of kids," Kakuzu managed to say.

Kakashi responded, "Well, to someone who once fought the 1st Hokage, I guess we do look like kids, and you're like some crazy old man from our point of view..." He activated another "Lightning Blade" as he said, "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself for losing to us kids because that's just how life works… As the old generation marches out, the new comes in and takes their place, surpassing them if you will. Your time has come, _old man_…"

Kakashi put Kakuzu out of his misery just as Shikamaru, Sakura, and Sai arrived. Immediately, Sakura rushed to _"aid"_ Ino in Naruto's treatment.

"What's the situation?" Sakura asked.

"He's broken the bones in his right forearm, but there's also something odd with the chakra within it as well," Ino told her.

"Here, let me take over," Sakura imposed.

"I-… I can do it!" Ino assured her.

"No, let me do it, I have more experience," Sakura shoved her out of the way.

"Why should I when I was here first?" Ino complained as she grabbed onto Naruto.

Latching onto him as well, and ignoring his groans and grunts of agony, Sakura replied, "You said that there was something strange with his chakra, so you obviously don't know how to handle it… Since I'm better at this, you should just leave it to me," she strained as she pulled.

Straining as well, Ino said, "Better…!!? How are _you_ better than _me_!? You may have started doing this before I did… but I'm catching up to you fast, _'Billboard-brow'_!"

Sakura grunted as she tugged, "Ino, you _pig_!"

The two continued to struggle and play tug-of-war with the injured Naruto until someone finally stepped in. With the matter partially resolved, the Leaf shinobi returned to the village to report their results as well as deliver a little _"present"_ to those in the lab. The Hokage congratulated them on a job well done and dismissed them.

Finally understanding what his sensei was trying to teach him, Shikamaru went to find Kurenai to give her the details. He would also inform her of his decision to be there to look after and protect her and Asuma's child in the future. She seemed satisfied with that as did he since he had finally found a great aspiration for his life.

After having his arm examined, Naruto had it put in a cast and a sling before leaving the hospital. He met up with Sakura who, for reason unknown other than to probably annoy him, was accompanied by Sai. They were soon joined by an annoyed Yuuki who looked as if she had been slaving all day. Knowing her and the temperament of the Hokage, this seemed very logical. Since the two siblings had a rough day, Sakura decided to let them pick what the team ate. She wouldn't treat them, she'd be crazy to do that, but she would put up with an evening listening to their gripes and groans if it would make them feel better.

Sakura wasn't surprised in the least to be sitting on a stool at "Ichiraku's". Once their orders came, Naruto seemed to be having difficulty eating, since he normally did with his right of course. He pathetically moaned and groaned and viciously growled as he failed time and time again to get the food into his mouth with either hand. Using his left for this was harder than he figured, and it just didn't feel right.

Sakura watched as Naruto tried again and again. To her, it was just like him even if he had no real chance. Whether it was eating with his handicap or defeating an Akatsuki, Naruto was growing rapidly, leaving her behind. She thought that since he was currently injured that maybe, somehow, she could catch up to him. Although she wanted to, she knew it was impossible and wrong to think like this. She wished that Hinata were back from her team mission so that these thoughts could disappear. She didn't want to grow while Naruto sat still; she wanted to grow together like they had been doing. Who knows, maybe he could help her grow faster than she had before.

"Ow! Dammit!!"

Sakura was ejected from her thoughts as she heard Naruto's cry. She turned to see that he had spilled some of his food into his lap. He put down his chopsticks to grab a few napkins with his left. As he did this, Sakura scooched in closer…

"I guess it can't be helped with you in this pathetic state," she said catching Naruto's attention.

She grabbed his chopsticks as he stared at her in surprise. Was she going to actually feed him? Naruto opened his mouth as Sakura picked up some food from his bowl.

"Here ya go…"

Naruto closed his mouth and happily chewed the food. He then noticed a smile on Sakura's face and food still on the chopsticks. "Want some more?" he heard a voice ask him. Naruto turned to see Sai offering him food. He nearly choked as he finally realized what had happened…

"Sai, what the hell…!? It wasn't supposed to be you…! And did you feed me with _your_ chopsticks?!"

Sai looked confused, "Well, Sakura already had yours in her hands and I just wanted to help. I read a book that said that you're supposed to help a friend in need…"

"That's still not the case," Naruto argued. "You have to read the situation and the atmosphere. Instead of feeding me, you should've decided to leave the two of us alone!"

"Kakashi sensei," Sakura and Yuuki called out as he showed up.

Sakura and Yuuki slid down, allowing Kakashi to sit by Naruto. From there, Naruto pouted as Kakashi then offered to feed him.

Not wasting any time, Kakashi got right down to it, "Naruto, you really have become strong enough to stand by my side in battle. You may have even surpassed me… but there's one thing you need to know… The greater the jutsu, the greater the risk… Your new one--"

"I already know," Naruto said. "I may not look it, but I've had quite a few experiences with that… I'll either find a way to make it work or put it away. It's not really that big a deal. No one knows my body better after all."

"Except maybe me!" Yuuki claimed.

"Don't joke about things like that!" Naruto growled. He then turned back to Kakashi and smiled, "I'm the guy who's gonna become Hokage! You said it yourself, I'm awesome, so there's no problem!"

This brought a smile to everyone's face. Kakashi changed his mind about what he was going to say. After putting away the food and time to pay the bill, Sakura casually slipped it to Naruto who slipped it to Kakashi. Reluctantly, he paid it.

They began leaving "Ichiraku's" but saw two Konohamarus standing before them. They questioned what he was up to and he answered…

"Sexy Double Knockout Girls: Girl on Girl Technique!!"

They both transformed into beautiful nude girls. They pressed their bodies together as they began caressing each other. The group of on-lookers, including Naruto, had various reactions. Naruto and Yuuki, as well as random guys, were impressed by this display. Sai and Kakashi didn't show any reaction, or just didn't know what kind to. But Sakura was both horrified and disgusted. As they returned to normal, Sakura stomped over and smashed both together, dispersing the clone…

"The two of you better not be doing these kinds of degrading things every time you see each other!!" she growled. "It's so stupid!!" she shook Konohamaru.

"N-no," Naruto denied. "Th-this kind of thing can be used as a diversion too. We also use it to settle little competitions between us…"

"Huh…?" she groaned. "Don't go about practicing stupid things like this, you perverted ninjas! The only ones idiot enough to fall for something like this is you…!"

Konohamaru took this as a challenge. "Oh yeah…" He formed his hand seal, "Sexy Knockout Guys Technique!!"

They took on the appearance of a nude Sasuke and Sai sandwiching Naruto. This time the spectrum was flipped. This time Sakura and Yuuki, and a few secret admirers, enjoyed it while both Naruto and Kakashi were outwardly horrified and disgusted.

"What the hell, man!" Naruto slammed the fake copies, forcing Konohamaru to return to normal. "Don't make me look at something so nasty! And when the hell did you ever see _me _naked!?"

Sakura realized that she had fallen victim to this so called _"stupid"_ technique. She tried to play it off but her rouge was seen through. She tried to explain it away, but…

Yuuki chuckled, "Hehehe…Looks like you're…"

"One of us," Konohamaru grimly stated.

As if in a horror movie, Sakura let out a bone-chilling scream…

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

A field of 100 shinobi lay sprawled out. The one responsible, the one that left them all in this condition, the single soul that proved to be too powerful for all of them to overcome was…

"You didn't kill them… You're too soft… Sasuke," Orochimaru hissed.

Sasuke rose from his seat on one of the fallen shinobi's back saying, "I have no desire to kill unnecessarily. There's only one person I want to kill."

Orochimaru smiled, "If you aren't merciless, you'll never defeat Itachi."

Sasuke looked at the snake, "There'll be no mercy once he's right in front of me."

As Sasuke walked by him, Orochimaru thought, _"He didn't shed a single drop of blood… When I see this boy, the fact that I was once called a genius seems pitiful. Just a little longer and he'll truly be mine!" _Orochimaru licked his lips.

* * *

**End of chapter… **

The Akatsuki duo is finally defeated by the Leaf…

With the reappearance of Sasuke, what's in store for his and his former teammates' future?

Next chapter: Leaving the nest…


	9. Guardian

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap:**

A few shinobi of the Leaf Village go after the Akatsuki duo that infiltrated their country. In their first encounter with them, Asuma fought valiantly but lost his life in the end. His former students set out to avenge him, and, with the help of Naruto and his new jutsu, did so. However, the effects of this has left Naruto on the road to recovery...

* * *

**Guardian**

Sakura was in the Hokage's office awaiting her next errand. The door opened and in walked Yuuki saying that she had just completed hers. Tsunade looked up from her desk and seemed suspicious of Yuuki. All of a sudden, she threw her approval stamp at Yuuki. It hit and knocked down the door. While Shizune freaked because now there would have to be more repairs done, it was just as Tsunade figured...

"That girl... She's playing hooky again..."

_"A-again,"_ Sakura was thinking.

Tsunade looked to the pink-haired kunoichi and ordered, "Sakura...! You're to go find Yuuki and bring her back here. I don't care how you go about it... You can beat her to within an inch of her life as far as I'm concerned. Just drag her back with you!"

Sakura felt a little uneasy about the Hokage's order to bring Yuuki back at all cost, but she figured that it wasn't as bad as it seemed. If it were her, she'd be pretty mad about Yuuki constantly ditching her duties as well. Since Yuuki and her got along pretty well, Sakura figured that this task wouldn't be so hard. All that remained was finding where she was, and Sakura already had a good hunch on where that was...

Yuuki was affectionately seeing to her injured brother, at least she was trying to. Every time she would offer to kiss his _"boo-boo"_ to make it all better, he would fight her on it. Maybe because his injury wasn't all she was trying to kiss. With the help of a few shadow clones, and Naruto's injured arm, Yuuki finally had him right where she wanted him. As she moved in, she suddenly stopped and jumped...

Startled, she said, "Oh crap!"

Sakura was making her way to Naruto's room when the door flung open. From inside, Yuuki took off down the hall...

"Ah... she ran away!" Sakura was surprised.

She was about to give chase when she heard a crash. As Yuuki sped down the hall, she smashed into an unsuspecting Hinata. From the collision, Sakura saw that Yuuki disappeared in a puff of smoke. It was then she realized...

"A decoy... The real one must still be in the room..."

Sakura entered to see Naruto sitting alone on the bed. He asked what she was looking for. She told him that she was ordered to bring Yuuki back to the Hokage.

"Oh," Naruto said unsurprised. He then told her, "There's one in the closet, one under the bed, and one transformed into the little potted plant on the window seal."

Hearing that they all had been given up so easily, they all jumped out of their hiding places thinking to scatter. Three tried to run right by Sakura thinking that she couldn't get them all. Sakura out-stretched her arms and embraced them all in a monstrous bear-hug. They all disappeared as she increased the pressure. All that was left was one opening the window.

"Brother, you idiot traitor!" she yelled as she went out the window.

Sakura immediately went after her. She avoided a collision with Hinata and asked her to take care of Naruto before finally going. Naruto asked what that was about, and Hinata told him that she had come to do what she could to help his recovery. Naruto was perfectly fine with it and asked her to come in.

Though Naruto didn't seem to stress about having a girl in his room, Hinata was ready to panic. A bright blush appeared on her face as she hesitated. This would be the first time she had gone into his room. After taking in a deep breath, Hinata entered. She nervously looked around, taking it all in. It was a little messy with clothes strewn about and empty cups of ramen on the stand, but Hinata found it a bit interesting. She stopped next to his bed and looked around for a place to sit. Naruto noticed this and told her that she could sit on the bed as well. Her heartbeat increased as he patted the spot next to him. Hinata began to feel weak. This was one familiar to her whenever she would get close to Naruto with nothing to keep her mind on anything else. Suddenly, her legs gave out and she plopped onto the bed beside him. She hadn't fainted but the feeling was persistent.

She was having a hard time focusing on what she was supposed to do. Sensing that she may be a little nervous about this whole thing, Naruto tried to help ease her. He asked her if she could really heal his arm...

Hinata shook her head and snapped back to reality. She then replied, "U-um... Ye-yes... I've been able to do just about anything from healing broken bones to reattaching people's severed limbs."

She cycled through seals and several chakra rings appeared on Hinata. She took one and place it on his injured arm up to his shoulder. She then placed another on his wrist and another around his hand. Naruto remembered the time Hinata's grandmother helped him like this. At this point, Naruto noticed that she no longer seemed as nervous as before. Since talking seemed to help, Naruto kept it up.

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

Sakura had followed Yuuki to one of the many training grounds in the village. She commanded that Yuuki come on out so that they could return together. Yuuki showed up in a tree and refused to simply return.

"This isn't the way a shinobi should act. You're supposed to take pride in everything you do, even if it is just menial tasks. These things can build character just as much as going out on missions. Disregarding your responsibilities and running away isn't the way," Sakura preached.

"That's easy for you to say when you at least get to do new and exciting things every now and then," Yuuki responded. "Besides... I don't just run away from whatever it is that Granny Tsunade has me do... I do what I'm told... _and take the rest of the day off the first chance I get_," she softly spoke the last part.

Sakura had heard it and felt sorry for her, but she still had her orders. She wouldn't just let Yuuki do what she wanted. She would straighten her out herself if she had to.

"I figured you would be like this... but if you plan on keeping me in line, you're gonna have to show me that you can, _big sis..." _

She smiled as she lunged at Sakura. Sakura didn't want to hurt Yuuki, but it looked like she didn't really have a choice. Sakura waited until the last possible minute and drew back. She came forward with a monstrous punch to Yuuki's body that sent her crashing into the tree.

Sakura gasped and covered her mouth in disbelief as she apologized. She was then shocked as Yuuki disappeared. She realized that it was a shadow clone, but...

"Too slow...!"

Two Yuukis appeared behind her and kicked her in the back of her knees. As she dropped, they each grabbed and arm, pinned her legs with their feet, and began stretching her. Sakura groaned in agony as they pulled her as much as they could. If they continued, Naruto wouldn't be the only one with his arm in a sling.

Sakura struggled as she tried to fight back. She strained as she tried to force her way out of the hold they had her in. Thanks to her monstrous strength, Sakura managed to free herself. As she did, both Yuukis were hurled to the tree. Sakura then charged after them, ready to smash them both...

**_xxxxxxxxxx_**

Hinata had come and gone. As she had, Naruto noticed the big bright blush on her face, but being as oblivious as he was, he told her to take good care of herself thinking that maybe she was coming down with something. Even after she had left, Naruto recalled the time he spent with her. Before, she had seemed so uneasy and nervous about being in his room with him, but after they started talking, she unconsciously kept the conversation going. Naruto recalled how this would happen when they were younger as well. He figured a long time ago that she was shy, but he still couldn't figure out why she acted so oddly.

Since his arm was no longer in a cast and sling, he was looking to test it. He groaned as he stretched it and rubbed it. He got up and turned off the lights. He sat down on the bed and began cycling through seals, ignoring the uncomfortable pain…

"Pinpoint: Star Mapping…"

His eyes blackened as several bright spots lit up within them. He closed his eyes…

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Orochimaru's body was beginning to breakdown and he was now bedridden. He felt ill as he struggled to even sit-up. Every single breath he breathed in and out even seemed to hurt. He couldn't stand this drawback of his jutsu, but he figured that it was worth it if he could stave-off death and acquire all the jutsu of the world. Kabuto left the room to get his medicine, but Orochimaru knew that the best fix for this would be to take Sasuke's body as soon as possible. If he could find the strength to get out of bed, he'd go do just that right now…

The creaking of the wooden door caught Orochimaru's attention. As it splintered, he noticed a blade of chakra quickly approaching. He managed to get his arms up to slow it but found himself pinned to the wall as it forced its way through. Orochimaru looked up to meet the cold gaze of the perpetrator. His attacker stepped in from the dark hallway, forcing the blade further through Orochimaru's arms.

"Just as I thought… It's come to this… Sasuke," Orochimaru hissed.

"There's nothing more you can teach me… I won't show any mercy as I show you how weak you really are," he stated. As his curse seal opened and spread across his body, Sasuke said, "Because of that, there's no need for me to give you my body."

Orochimaru sickly chuckled, "Such big talk… for a fledgling."

"And that's exactly why you targeted me, right…? Because at the time, I was nothing more than a 'fledgling' and was easy enough for you to get…" He tortured Orochimaru a little more, saying, "You couldn't get Itachi, so you set your eyes on the next best thing… That's all you could do, even though you were labeled the '_genius_' of the 'Legendary 3'… but you were only called that by those of normal standards… Compared to Uchiha, you're nothing. No matter how much you're considered a genius, you and all your jutsu are nothing before the eyes of the Uchiha… You disgust me in how you immerse yourself in medicine and your body-snatching ways just to get closer to the Uchiha's power. What is your purpose in life? You say that you want to discover the secrets of this world, but is that really it? You've played around with peoples' lives for such a stupid reason… You and people like you make me sick!"

Sasuke increased Orochimaru's discomfort as he charged. He drew his sword and prepared to take the snake's head… but before he could execute him, something jumped from within. Orochimaru's body was now nothing more than a husk.

"To think that you would go thisss far to keep your body, Sssassuke."

Sasuke turned to see a giant, white-scaled serpent behind him. This was Orochimaru's true form. It lunged at him and Sasuke jumped over it as it crushed the bed and its former container.

"Sssasssuke…! Give me your body!"

Orochimaru's scales turned out to really be snakes. From his body, a few came to life and attacked Sasuke. Using his blade, Sasuke made quick work of them but more followed. He sliced and diced many of them, but they just kept coming. Before they could overwhelm him, he slipped off his shirt and activated "Level 2" of his seal.

"Shaaaaah!" Orochimaru hissed. "I will have your body, and then… I will fulfill my asspirationss!"

"Just like a snake that slithers around on the ground to dream of flying… But it's impossible… because the only way that's possible is in the talons of a hawk," Sasuke said as he spread his hand-like wings and shredded the attacking snakes to pieces.

"Ssssaa~asssuke!!" he quickly slithered and lunged at him.

Sasuke extended his Chidori sword once again and sliced clean through Orochimaru's serpent body. It collapsed in pieces. With no sign of movement, Sasuke withdrew his blade and returned to normal. He turned to leave but suddenly felt weak. He dropped to his knees as Orochimaru began to move once more.

"It'ss starting to kick in, I ssee," he said as he seemingly came back to life. "The white ssnakesss on thiss body releassse a numbing pois~son into the air when expossed… Becausse of thisss, I can now take your body…!!" he explained as he unhinged his jaw and lunged at Sasuke…

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

A knock on the door startled Naruto and caused him to lose his focus. The door opened and a head poked in.

"Yuu… What is it?"

"I just wanted to check on you and see how you were doing…"

"I'm fine," he told her.

"I'm glad to hear it," she smiled. "Oh… and there's someone else here that I'm sure is glad to hear it as well…"

She opened the door all the way and turned on the light. In the doorway stood…

"Grandma…!" Naruto sounded surprised.

"Naruto…! My handsome grandson… It's good to see that you're doing well," she hugged him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I missed you guys, so I came back. I wanted to spend some time with you, so… how about we all go out and have some fun…? What do ya say? My treat…"

"Sure," Naruto smiled. "There's just one thing I wanna do and I'll meet you outside."

Hitomi nodded and as she and Yuuki were leaving, she questioned Yuuki about the bruises on her. She told her of how Tsunade sent someone after her. She wasn't hurt but was scorned, and then she sarcastically said that she was told that it was done out of _"love"_. Hitomi became furious and stormed off ready to teach Tsunade how to be a _real _grandmother with Yuuki encouraging her.

Not knowing what that was all about, Naruto turned out the lights once again and got back to what he was doing…

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Kabuto returned to Orochimaru's room to find blood spilling to the outside. He cautiously approached and peeked inside. There, he found Sasuke standing. He was quickly noticed and "Sasuke" exited the room. Seeing a lifeless, giant serpent on the ground, Kabuto didn't know who it was that he was dealing with. He questioned what exactly happened. "Sasuke" turned to him, revealing his sharingan and Kabuto felt a strange sensation. Before he knew it, he was trapped in an illusion. His question was being answered as he watched the events that played out during Orochimaru's ritual. Once it was over, Kabuto came to his conclusion…

"Does this mean…?"

"Exactly… I took control, and now his powers are mine," he said as he walked away.

"Is that so…?"

"It is… but what are you doing here?" Sasuke asked a figure around the corner. "How many times do I have to tell you…? I won't come with you, Naruto."

Naruto stepped around the corner and leaned against the wall. He crossed his arms as he said, "Nah, I was just checking in…"

"Why?"

"No reason really… I just wanted to know what you were up, what you would be up to now… just in case…"

"Is that so…?"

The two traded looks. Having enough, Sasuke told him, "What I do now is none of your concern, so stay out of it and go home."

As Sasuke walked by, Naruto said, "I don't really care what you do as long as you don't become Orochimaru's puppet. Since that's no longer the case, I'll go home, but let me warn you… don't do anything stupid because I'll be checking in on you from time to time. I can either be like a guardian or... well..."

Sasuke didn't say anything. As he walked away, Naruto turned to Kabuto with a serious look on his face. He walked to investigate Orochimaru's room and continued on. Kabuto didn't know what was going on. His world had been turned upside down. Sasuke was leaving and now Orochimaru was gone, maybe forever… or was he?

Sasuke was now in the lab. "So… does this mean that you defeated Orochimaru?" he heard a voice say. He pressed a button on a control board and a container opened. Water spilled out and puddled onto the floor. A figure began to form from it…

"You'll be the first, Suigetsu," Sasuke said as he placed a hand on his sword.

"Oh… Is that so…? The first...? For what? Who else will there be?" Suigetsu asked as his form solidified.

"There'll be two others… Juugo from the northern hideout and Karin from the southern…"

"And just what exactly do you want with me, that monster, and that annoying woman? What will we be doing?"

"Just accompany me for a bit, and then I'll tell you of my plan," Sasuke told him.

"Fine… You did free me after all. I suppose I don't mind, but you're crazy to pick those other guys, Sasuke. There's just one thing…" his feet splashed through the puddle as he slipped behind Sasuke and placed his finger to his head. "Let's get one thing clear though… Just because _you _defeated Orochimaru doesn't mean you're better than me… It just means that _you_ had the best opportunity to get him before anyone else. There were many after him and sooner or later one of us would have."

"We don't have time for this… Put on some clothes and let's go…"

"Ordering me around even though the situation favors me… You're something else ya know…" He lifted his finger from Sasuke's head and said, "Just kidding… but man, not even an irregular heartbeat… You really are some piece of work."

"Get dressed already…"

"I'm going, I'm going… You must be pretty strong to take down Orochimaru. I'd heard stories about how strong you were back then. Like the one where you and your team took down my comrade Zabuza…. I'll agree to come with you on one condition… I get his sword…"

"If it's a sword you want, why not just take one of Orochimaru's?"

"The swords of the '7 Ninja Swordsmen' were passed down from generation to generation. I admired them and trained to become one of them. Now… I feel that I've earned the right to carry one… maybe even them all."

_The Leaf, next morning… _

"You're late!" Tsunade exploded as Naruto and Sakura entered her office. Already there were Sai and Yamato. The two fell in line as Tsunade began talking…

"I've called you here because I have a mission for you."

"A mission… What kind?" Naruto asked.

There was a knock on the door right before it opened. From it entered and greeted Jiraiya with news…

"Why is everyone coming into my office so late today!?" Tsunade snapped.

"Now, now… Take it easy Tsunade…"

"What do you want?" she asked.

He walked by ruffling his grandchildren's hair and said, "I have news about Sasuke…"

"Sasuke…!?" Sakura confirmed.

With a somber expression, Naruto looked off to the side as Jiraiya finished, "It seems that he managed to kill Orochimaru."

"Is that… true?" Sakura inquired as her eyes glistened.

Jiraiya nodded his head, "I heard it from a reliable source… I also heard that he was on the move… So… what do you think, Naruto?"

Naruto looked glum, "He… probably won't be coming back to the village… but we'll get him…"

Everyone seemed slightly, pleasantly surprised by what he had said. Everyone that is except Yuuki. She looked to be a little upset that her brother was still going so far for someone that didn't seem to want it.

Naruto continued, "For now, let's focus on our new mission…"

While Tsunade filled them in on their mission, Jiraiya thought to himself, _"That Naruto… What's with him? I was expecting him to wanna go after Sasuke right this minute. I have some free time and I could've even helped, but…"_

Tsunade finished, "… I've already informed the other team, but you'll be in command Yamato… Dismissed!"

The team filed out with Yuuki behind them. Tsunade quickly stopped her and reminded her that she wasn't to leave the village.

She griped and groaned, "Why can't me and my brother switch-off sometimes… Starting now…"

Without a second thought, Tsunade refused this proposal. Yuuki let out a frustrated groan and slumped back to the Hokage's side.

Jiraiya caught up to Naruto down the hall and asked him what was with him. Naruto revealed, "I already knew about Sasuke."

"If you knew, then why didn't you say anything? What's with your attitude?"

"I…" He lowered his voice, "I didn't want to worry Sakura. I used my jutsu to find him and showed up when I found out that there was something strange going on. I was gonna help him, but it was already over. After these past couple of years, I've realized that even if we brought Sasuke back, unless it's under his own will, it won't be the same. And he'll probably be placed on restriction if he tries to go off on his own again… I want to fulfill my promise with Sakura, but this makes things hard. For now, we can only give him some space and hope that he chooses not to do anything too dangerous and comes back on his own."

"Are you sure you're ok with that?"

"I have to be… but if things go too far, then I may just have to find him and bring him back by force anyway. For now, I'll just let things go and wait and see," he walked off.

Jiraiya let him go but thought, _"I hope things go that easily for you… but with both you and your sister being targeted by Akatsuki, it doesn't seem that way. It'd be better if they were out of the picture…"_

Naruto returned to his room to get his things for the mission. Once packed, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed out the door. He bid farewell to his sister and grandmother and the granny-like Hokage to her dismay. He left the tower and headed to the village gate. On the way there he pondered about the mission, trying to keep the Sasuke situation out of his head…

"_So, as far as we know, we're supposed to save a hostage and bring in the ones responsible, if we can… At the most, a mission like this should only need one team… but why are there two?" _

He arrived at the gate to see his team waiting for him. Along with them he saw the other team that would be joining them and understood why they were picked for this mission. It was the best tracking team in the village, Team 8 led by Neji.

"Now that everyone is here, let's move out," Yamato said.

Their mission was underway as they exited the village. They made haste as they began running through the forest. They had to get there before it was too late. Their destination… the "Land of Honey".

_Elapsed time… _

Almost as soon as they reached the country's border, Naruto and Neji picked up on something. With a quick warning, the rest of the team prepared for the following attack…

A shower of shuriken and kunai was deflected by the Leaf shinobi as they took the defensive. As they plopped to the ground, Naruto felt a strange sensation in the air…

"Move…!!" he shouted.

His group jumped away as electricity filled the air…

"Now…! Pick them off!" a woman shouted.

Hearing this, the Leaf shinobi wondered what was in store for them. They had separated into smaller groups when they heard the enemy's order. Naruto, Neji, Shino, and Kiba had managed to stay together. Neji said that they should rejoin the others before anything happened, but there was a change in plans…

"Above…!" Neji called out.

A shinobi wielding a sword jumped from a tree. Naruto quickly summoned his swords and used one of the curved ones to block. As they clashed, the attacking ninja's blade broke almost instantly. As Naruto's blade cut through his, the dark shinobi barely avoided having his head follow.

He backed off, saying, "Aw man… my sword…"

As he stopped on a tree, his Cloud Village headband could be clearly seen. As he also got a good look at the group, he seemed to be shocked to see Neji. Before either could make any comments, another shinobi jumped in…

"Sword of Water!" he shouted.

The Leaf shinobi quickly moved to avoid being cut. Naruto sheathed his sword and began gathering chakra in his hands. He noticed another surprise attacker and fired his "Dragon Wave" at him…

The would-be attacker quickly cycled through hand-seals. Naruto's attack seemingly landed, but oddly it returned to its original sender. Naruto dove out of the way in shock. He wouldn't even have time enough to question this as another enemy was barreling down on him. He rolled over to avoid being buried in the small crater left by the attack.

"Wha-…?! What was that?!"

From the crater stepped a rather large man that dwarfed Naruto. His eyes bugged out at the sheer size of this guy.

"You're just a kid," he commented. "Too bad that I have to do away with ya…"

He reared back and, with one punch, created another small crater in the earth. Naruto continued evading until he came upon a tree. He wrapped his tails around the tree's trunk and swung around it. He placed his feet into the big guy's chest but only forced him back slightly. He smiled as he rubbed it off…

Neji now found himself defending against the Waterfall-nin, Shino was paired with the Cloud-nin, and Kiba began fighting the other guy…

Kiba threw shuriken as he charged in on Akamaru. He watched as the guy pulled a kunai to knock them away. The two closed in and the enemy jumped to the side. As they passed, Kiba jumped from Akamaru's back and onto his opponent…

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

With the group separated, Sakura, Sai, and Hinata found themselves having trouble of their own. Both Sai and Sakura were having difficulty with a female attacker who used "Flower" jutsu.

"Ninja Art: Flower Shuriken Jutsu!" the Grass kunoichi said as flowers began flying about like shuriken.

Sai ducked behind a tree and Sakura used her ax to block. Sakura then charged in ready to swing her ax, but…

The Grass-nin cycled through her seals. Sakura found herself falling as she tripped over an unexpected root popping from the ground. She recovered in time to see the Grass-nin pull a thorny whip. She cracked it but there was interference. A beast made of ink took the blow and exploded that ink all over Sakura…

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

Alone, Hinata found herself confronted with another kunoichi. She wielded a staff with distinctive blades on it. One end had a circular shape with crescent shaped blade at the end. At the other end of the staff was another lone crescent-shaped blade. It was whirled around before the kunoichi charged at Hinata.

Hinata didn't have time to ready her bow, so she grabbed a kunai instead. The attacking kunoichi lunged and, using her kunai, Hinata redirected it over her head. As the weapon planted into the tree, Hinata charged in closer. She made a straight stabbing attempt, but her enemy sidestepped it. Hinata turned around and ducked under another swing. She continued trying to get in close enough to do some damage, but the enemy's long weapon and masterful use of it kept her at bay. She finally backed off. Since close combat wouldn't work, Hinata reached for the bow on her back. Seeing what she had in mind, the attacking kunoichi tried to put a stop to it. Hinata quickly grabbed a few arrows and began firing them. The enemy swiftly and agilely avoided being hit as she ducked and weaved and even knocked a few arrows down. She slipped in close enough and swung her weapon as hard as she could…

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

The area had been decimated by Naruto and his monstrous opponent's fight, mostly due to the enemy. The behemoth of an enemy easily smashed through trees and boulders. Every time he did and whenever Naruto would actually land a hit, he noticed a change in his chakra, his skin color, and his body as if it had hardened. Naruto would have to figure a way to break him of that before he was seriously injured. As the enemy attacked, Naruto flipped about, bounding off and swinging about the trees. Having had enough of Naruto's evading and ducking behind trees, the enemy smashed the entire tree but looked confused as Naruto disappeared. He noticed a shadow dart by and turned to see Naruto coming right at him. As predicted, the enemy underwent a slight change in his appearance and chakra usage. Naruto grunted in pain as he roughly shoved his shoulder into his gut…

The enemy thought that this was his chance. He quickly felt a sensation beginning from that point. He was shocked as he suddenly felt weak as he was sent flying through the air. He crashed and shakily stood to his feet. As Naruto reappeared, the big guy tried to reactivate his jutsu but couldn't do to his chakra system being completely shut down.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!!"

Naruto created three clones. Two slid in on both sides of the behemoth and swept him off his feet. The final two each placed a flying kick to him and sent him soaring and crashing through the forest. He rolled to a stop and a female voice calling to him…

"What are you doing, Hiroto?"

He turned his head to the side to see the kunoichi struggling to behead Hinata. Using her chakra shield and the tree as support, Hinata fought to push the opponent back.

"Shooting Star!!" Naruto came crashing down on the big guy with great force.

As the cloud created from the impact cleared, Naruto stepped over the anguished giant, surprising the kunoichi struggling with Hinata. Distracted, Hinata kicked the kunoichi off. She looked a bit angry since her comrade had been defeated and it was now 2-on-1. She readied for a tough battle but was once again in for a surprise. Wood sprang from the ground and wrapped around her, properly restraining her. She struggled to break free but stopped as Hinata placed a kunai to her throat.

"Who are you, and why are you attacking us?" Yamato asked.

The kunoichi refused to answer. Instead she just gritted her teeth as she angrily glared at the Leaf shinobi.

From the shadows of the trees came Kiba and Akamaru with their opponent as a captive. The kunoichi saw this and her hardened expression changed…

"We didn't come here for any trouble… we just came to complete our mission. You attacking us out of the blue like this could be taken as hostile, but we don't want to do anything unnecessary," Yamato told her.

She scrunched up her face and sighed, "How did this happen, Kazuki?"

He looked embarrassed as he said, "I know it's no excuse, but… I was at a disadvantage. I wasn't good enough to overcome it and ended up as a burden to you… I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize… You're young and these things happen…" She looked at the young Leaf ninjas and then at Yamato. "If you promise not to hurt Kazuki… then perhaps we can come to a compromise…"

Yamato responded, "As long as you call off your comrades and no longer attack us, we'll leave you in peace. All we want is to carry out the mission that we were hired to do."

"Mission…?" She looked at them again and noticed that they all had Leaf Village headbands. A bit embarrassed herself, she said, "I… we're sorry… We had no idea that _you_ were the shinobi hired by the Feudal Lord… We assumed that we had finally found the ones responsible for all of this and engaged you… We apologize for the misunderstanding," she tried to bow.

Yamato released her saying that there was no harm done, as long as the others were stopped before it was too late. They made haste as they hurried to halt the fighting between the groups. With the quarrel dismissed and tension slightly reduced, the Leaf shinobi were escorted to the Feudal Lord's palace. There, the escorts greeted their comrades already there and introduced themselves as the current "12 Ninja Guardians" for the "Land of Honey's" Feudal Lord.

Kazuki was an average looking young man of the age of 22. Though he had groomed and unusually gray hair, his youthful appearance and energy showed that he was someone that was in the maturing stages between young adult and a full-fledged 5'7" man. He possessed bright and shiny eyes that seemed to reflect both his and the gazer's spirits.

Ayaka was another youngster among this group. At the age of 25, she looked just as youthful as Kazuki. Being slightly older, she showed a greater deal of maturity that Kazuki seemed to struggle with at times. A kunoichi of the Grass Village, she wore her headband around her head of beautiful, long, luxurious and flowing asparagus colored hair. Her eyes weren't as expressive as Kazuki's, but they were a beautifully sparkling turquoise. She was as lovely as a flower with her slender frame and long legs, standing at 5'5".

Ryou was a Waterfall shinobi of average stature. Fairly lean, he appeared to be in great shape from his short brown hair to his blue eyes, all the way down to his feet. He seemed to have formed a close friendship with Kouki of the Cloud. It was only natural that they got along because they had so many things in common. Physically, they both were in shape, both stood to be approximately 5'9", and were near in age with only a few months difference. The biggest differences between them were their skin color, Kouki's black hair and brown eyes, and their personalities. One was laid-back and went with the flow, while the other seemed to brim with much more energy.

Hiroto, who was now receiving treatment for his injuries and being jokingly ridiculed by the rest of his comrades, was a large fellow at 7'2". He wasn't just tall; he was big and wide with a body mixture of fat and large muscles making up his massive frame. When off of the battlefield, the Star village shinobi was more docile and level-headed. He wore his village headband, extended with the help of another band, over the large bicep of his light-skinned left arm. He had dark blue hair and grayish-blue eyes. At the age of 35, he was the second oldest of the Guardians.

Yuzuki was a kunoichi of the Hidden Moon Village. She radiated a nature of wisdom and maturity from her fading brown hair to her Maya blue eyes that looked as if they had seen just about everything in her time. Though her eyes and hair gave a glimpse at her years of experience, her body was that of a younger woman. It was toned and shapely showing that she had kept herself in great shape even after countless years. Her personality was nurturing and even motherly to the rest of the Guardians. Everyone seemed to be respectful of her and responded well to her.

The other six that had stayed behind were Takumi, a blue-eyed, azure hair colored, 5'8" man with what appeared to be a trident strapped to his back; Ayumu, a walking vision of beauty from the Stone Village with her straggly Shamrock green hair and eyes and curvy figure; Shin, a long white-haired guy with a crazy look in his beady violet eyes; Izumi, a young kunoichi with a small frame and big blue eyes, had short blonde hair in a Hime-cut style. She had a seemingly rival like relationship with another kunoichi of the group, Chinatsu. Chinatsu was the polar opposite in many ways such as not being as flat as a board with a spirited and catty attitude. She also had long pink hair and normal-sized brown eyes. The last was the guy treating Hiroto's injuries. Daisuke was a red-haired, black-eyed, light-skinned shinobi with a toned frame. He was the third oldest and had a pleasant demeanor that seemed comforting as well.

With the introductions out of the way, the Leaf shinobi were led to the Feudal Lord, Hiroshi, and his wife Takara. Before them, they were informed of their mission…

"Recently, my daughter disappeared and we received a letter saying that she was being held against her will… It said that the culprits were holding her until a number of _'requests'_ were met," the Feudal Lord informed.

"And what do they want?" Yamato asked.

"They asked for money and… for me to step down as Feudal Lord of the Land of Honey. I would gladly give them what they wanted in exchange for my precious daughter… but I fear that this could cause the downfall of our lovely country."

"If you have a whole group of elite ninja like the 'Guardian Ninja', why did you hire us for this?" Naruto questioned.

The Feudal Lord answered, "I wasn't sure of this, but I'm worried that we have been under surveillance and if we're seen searching for them, they may take my daughter's life. The perpetrators may already know of the 'Guardians', so I figured that I would look elsewhere for help… Years ago I attended the 'Chunin Exams' and witnessed a magnificent display of talent by two young boys who put on an exciting match. I'm glad to see them here today and expect great things…"

Naruto smiled big, showing that he was a bit embarrassed for the compliment. This brought a small smile to the Feudal Lord's face as well before he stopped to say, "I hope that you can get my daughter back safely. I love her very much and I love my country…"

Naruto outburst, "Don't worry… We'll get her--"

"What's this I hear about Kaede going missing…!?" a voice called out as the doors were flung open.

Down the aisle stormed a blonde, green-eyed young woman. She forced her way through the ranks of the Leaf shinobi to stand in front of the Feudal Lord. She had a mixed expression of anger and sadness as she awaited his reply.

"Kohaku… I…"

He stopped as any sign of him cheering up even a little completely disappeared. She scolded him for allowing it to happen and sitting around doing nothing about it…

Naruto interjected, "Hey, hey, hey… Don't be so hard on the guy. It happened and nothing can be done about it… But I'll tell you what we can do… We were hired to take care of this, and as I was saying before… just leave it to us and we'll get the Feudal Lord's daughter back safe and sound!"

Kohaku furiously turned to scold Naruto, "Look… I don't know who you are, or who you think you are, but... how can you say something like that? They already have her and at any point could do terrible things to her if they choose to! Why is that…!? Because they somehow slipped past the _'elite ninja'_ that were supposed to be protecting my father and the family to get her. Just how are you gonna do any better… whatever your name is?!"

"Me…? I'm Naruto Uzumaki of the Leaf Village," he simply replied. "And I don't know for sure how we're gonna do it, but with me and the rest of these guys… I promise that we'll get your sister back… no matter what!"

The _"rest" _of the Leaf shinobi looked a little annoyed by Naruto. He just couldn't help but boast and make it seem like he was so great. Some among the _"rest"_, and even the Feudal Lord and his wife, found Naruto's attitude and spunk to be quite refreshing.

Kohaku scrunched up her face slightly as her scold began slipping away. She then pondered, "Naruto Uzumaki… of the Leaf Village…? Where have I heard that name before?"

She then looked a bit shocked as she stared at Naruto. Without saying another word, she stormed out of the room. This left the Feudal Lord and his wife to plead with the Leaf shinobi to hurry and find their daughter before anything truly terrible happened.

* * *

**End of chapter… **

Sasuke escapes the clutches of Orochimaru, and with a warning from Naruto, they go their separate ways…

In the Land of Honey, the Leaf shinobi look to solve this case of kidnapping…

Next chapter: On the trail…


	10. On the Trail

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap:**

Sasuke escapes Orochimaru without having his body stolen and sets out. Although Naruto knows of this, he instead focuses on his new mission. He and the Leaf shinobi assigned to this mission meet with the Land of Honey's Feudal Lord and his "Guardian Ninjas". They are informed that there has been a kidnapping and set out to investigate...

* * *

**On the Trail**

Their meeting let out and the Leaf-nin gathered in a room to come up with a plan in private…

"So what do you think, Captain Yamato?" Neji asked.

"Are you thinking what I am…?"

Naruto spoke up, "Something seems odd. How could someone sneak into a place surrounded with guards and elite ninjas and sneak out with a hostage without being noticed…? Could it be...?"

"You don't think… that this was an inside job, do you? Sakura said.

Kiba then said, "For them to get by 12 elite shinobi undetected at all is a feat that would seem impossible. I hate to say this, but… our culprit could be one of the 'Guardian Ninjas'…"

"There could even be more involved," Hinata added.

"If that's so, then the question is… who and why?" Shino stated.

Just then there was a knock at the door. Yuzuki entered to say, "I'm sorry for all of this." She was assured that the misunderstanding before was behind them, but she went on to say, "This entire thing has to be my fault… The night that little Kaede disappeared, I was the last to see her. I saw her before she went to bed, but I…" She looked as if she was about to breakdown. She regained her composure and said, "I was really close with her. She was almost like a daughter to me, so I'm hoping that she is found before it's too late… If there's anything that you need help with, then please come to me or any of the 'Guardians'. We're at your disposal," she bowed.

As she left the room, the Leaf shinobi began to ponder who could have been responsible for this. They figured that Yuzuki couldn't have done such a thing, but then again she could just be trying to cover her tracks. It was hard to determine at this point. First thing was first though, they would try to find the missing girl, and, if lucky, they would pick up a clue of who it was that was behind this.

"We'll begin searching for Kaede, but we also have to keep an eye on our suspects," Yamato mentioned.

Orders were given and the ninjas went on their way. Kiba, Shino, and Naruto headed to Kaede's room to find a way to track her. Neji headed to the top of the palace to hopefully find her or anyone that was suspiciously lurking about the forest. Sakura, Sai, Yamato, and Hinata were to keep an eye out for suspicious behavior among those closest to the Feudal Lord. Picking up her scent, Naruto and the others left the room to rejoin their teammates. Seeing them leaving the palace, the "Guardians" approached…

"I would like to assist you," Yuzuki said. "We all would like to be of some help."

Since this could make things a bit easier for them to search and keep an eye on the suspects at the same time, Yamato agreed to allow it. Some would join in the search while the rest remained to provide protection.

"So, will all of you be joining us?"

Yuzuki spoke up, "Since we could encounter whoever did this, I'll come along. Let's switch things around so that those that got into the scuffle earlier can rest and recover. It would also be helpful to have a healer just in case, so Daisuke, you should come along also."

"Wait, I want to come as well," Kazuki said. "I want a chance to redeem myself."

Yuzuki considered it and replied, "Well, I suppose that if they didn't mind, you could take someone else's place." No one spoke up so Yuzuki volunteered, "Chinatsu…"

"What!? Why me?!"

"You and Izumi tend to butt heads too often. She's also more manageable. So…"

Chinatsu was in awe. She crossed her arms and puffed her now bright red cheeks as she was left out. They headed out and split up to widen the search. Alone, Shino had his insects scour the forest as he waited back at the palace with Neji. Sai and Sakura grouped with Izumi and Shin…

"Maybe I should search from the sky," Sai weighed.

"That's a good idea… Go ahead. We'll search from here," Sakura told him.

Sai drew a bird and flew into the sky. He searched while keeping an eye on what was going on below, just in case. Both he and Sakura were shocked to find that Shin had suddenly gone missing in a short amount of time…

"That's nothing to be concerned about. Shin has a special jutsu in which he can accelerate to great speeds. He must be using it to quicken the search. He'll be back before you know it," Izumi explained.

Naruto and Hinata were with Kazuki and the Stone kunoichi Ayumu. As they searched for clues, Hinata couldn't help but notice Naruto occasionally looking at her from the corner of her eyes. It made her a little uncomfortable and was very distracting. She didn't know what to do…

"Hinata… There's something different about you," he said.

"Huh!?" she said surprised. "Oh, yes… My clothes were dirty and torn so I changed. Also, these are easier and hinder me less to move more freely," she told him as she showed off her outfit.

From head-to-toe Hinata looked a little different. Her hair was one of those new things to take in. It was still long with the usual bangs in front, but now she had some of her hair braided around her head, a "Reverse Roll". She still had her headband around her neck above her black undershirt. She wore a white-hooded, sleeveless, short blue kimono with the Hyuuga clan's crest in white and red on back, with a big white sash and a red string tied over it. She wore a long blue fingerless glove that went a little past the elbow of her left arm, tipped with white on the ends. She had a similar one on her right arm, but there was black over her fingers. This was her archer's glove. Under her kimono, she wore short black tights. She wore blue thigh high gaiters along with her sandals as well. Between it all, there was very little skin shown other than her toes, a sliver of her thighs, her upper arm, and her neck up.

She was happy that Naruto had taken notice, but she was also embarrassed that he was still looking her up and down. After a minute of analysis, Naruto said that they should get back to work as if the moment spent on focusing on Hinata had never happened. She was a bit relieved that Naruto wouldn't spend the entire time making a big deal about such a small change, but she was also a little disappointed that he didn't at least show some signs of liking it or hating it.

The group continued looking around. As they refocused on the task at hand, there were hopes that maybe something could be found. Naruto sniffed about but suddenly picked up on something coming at them… fast. Naruto grabbed Hinata and shockingly pulled her in close as they dove for cover. The others didn't understand why he had done this since all that they noticed was a short burst of wind.

"It's gone," Naruto said.

"Um… Na-Naruto…"

"What's gone?" Kazuki asked.

"Na-Naruto…"

"I felt a chakra signature coming this way, and something, or someone, just blew right by us," he told them.

"Oh, that must be--"

"Naruto…!" they heard a soft voice speak up.

They both looked down to a red-face Hinata as she told him, "C-could you… please get off of me… This is a little embarrassing…"

Naruto quickly jumped up with a blush of his own after finally realizing that he had had Hinata pinned under himself the entire time. Trying to hide his blush, Naruto offered to help her to her feet.

"_He's a sensor…!?"_ Ayumu thought. "I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned about… Let's just continue looking," she nonchalantly stated.

Not wanting to waste time questioning the previous event, they got back to the search. Kazuki noticed that now it was Hinata who couldn't seem to keep her eyes off of Naruto, who tried his best to avoid making eye-contact with anyone. She was also constantly blushing. From this, he could tell and it started him thinking…

"So… how do you think the others are doing? Do you think Yuzuki is having any luck?"

"Huh? Hopefully they're having some kind of luck. I'm sure that they aren't in any trouble, but we need to focus ourselves… Why do you ask anyway? Are you worried?"

"He's worried about Yuzuki because he likes her," Ayumu revealed.

"N-no I don't…! I… I mean… I'm… worried about her, but… I don't like her _that _way!" Kazuki frantically denied… "But do you think they're doing alright? Maybe we should go check," he said, almost as if pleading.

"All we're getting are scents that belong to the '12 Guardians'," Kiba revealed.

They weren't having any more luck than any of the others… that is until…

"I think we found something! There's a faint trace of the girl's scent going down this way," Kiba shouted as he pointed down a dark woodland path.

As he prepared to head down the path, he was quickly snatched back by Daisuke as a strange gust of wind blew. Akamaru on the other hand had taken a step forward. As soon as he placed his paw on the path, the earth rumbled and everyone jumped back as the trees on the path began to fall over. Soon the entire area went up in flames as several explosions went off. This caught the attention of the other search parties and they all converged on this point. It was upsetting that the only clue that had been found only led to a booby-trapped, now useless, trail. The first day being a disappointment, the search party retired for now.

As they came back in the evening, they noticed a group of mounted and armed soldiers. Out front was Kohaku…

"Done already…? I knew that you ninja were useless," she stated.

"It's getting pretty late, and with the trap that we encountered earlier… it would be hazardous to continue into the night," Daisuke explained.

"You're all pathetic… That's my little sister out there and you're willing to give up so easily." She looked at Yuzuki and Naruto and said, "What was all that about finding her no matter what…!?"

Naruto's face scrunched up as this made him angry. He came forward and snatched Kohaku from atop her horse and dragged her back into the palace to have a "word" with her.

He whispered to her, "We picked up a few clues but there's a good chance that they all lead to traps… I made a promise to you and your parents that your sister would be rescue, and she will. Would it kill ya to have a little faith…!?"

Kohaku didn't say a word to Naruto. She walked by him and outside…

"We won't be heading out tonight… but be ready bright and early because we **will **find my sister!"

She dismissed her cavalry and started to head inside. As she did, she stopped momentarily to stare into Naruto's eyes as a sign that she was serious. If the shinobi weren't up to the task, then she would do it herself. Everyone followed and after a big somber dinner, they all turned in.

The next few days went something like this. It seemed that every time a potential clue or something was found that could determine the outcome of this case, be it by the Leaf ninjas or one of the "Guardians", it would be lost or destroyed by some freak incident. It seemed a lot like…

"Sabotage…!?" Sakura said in disbelief. "How can that be when we've been watching them all so carefully?"

"There're likely more involved. We can't keep an eye on all of them at the same time," Shino said.

Sai spoke up, "There is one that seems to be able to get around very quickly. He's able to run off and do whatever he pleases and be back before too much time passes. It could be that he may be covering up any clues we find and destroying them…"

"Me and Akamaru have found his scent everywhere we've been, but his comrades just explain it away like there's nothing suspicious about it," Kiba revealed.

"You… don't think that they all could be responsible for the kidnapping… do you?" Hinata questioned.

Neji chimed in, "It would make sense since the kidnapping would be a lot more manageable if all they had to do was sneak by the usual palace soldiers. When we questioned these soldiers, none of them mentioned seeing anything out of the ordinary that night. If all the 'Guardians' had a part in this, then they could all make up alibis for each other… but why would they do it? What would they have to gain?"

"Just when things start making a little more sense, everything is turned around," Naruto stated as he scratched his head.

"I guess that we're no closer to finding who it was that's responsible, but we have to find the little girl," Yamato said.

"How do we do that if every clue we find nearly gets us killed?" Kiba asked.

Yamato replied, "For now, let's just keep an eye on the 'Ninja Guardians' and any strange behavior they may exhibit. It's been a few days since we first arrived, so whoever is behind this is likely to check on her sooner or later."

"She may be hidden somewhere close in that case," Sakura added.

"Not close enough," Neji revealed. "Even with my Byakugan, I didn't find anything strange in the near proximity of the palace. Perhaps I should head out on the next investigation as well," he suggested. "It betters the chance of us seeing through these traps, and I may be able to find the girl even at the hindrance of these traps."

"That sounds like a plan," Yamato agreed. "Ok then… Tomorrow, we'll continue our search and leave Neji to investigate the areas where we encountered the traps. Hopefully we'll get somewhere this way."

The small meeting held by the Leaf shinobi was dismissed and they all headed their separate ways for the night. Not able to get a wink of sleep or even close his eyes long enough to try, Naruto decided to try something…

He cycled through hand-seals and quietly said, "Star Mapping…"

His eyes blackened as several bright spots lit up within them. He closed his eyes…

Naruto's mind cleared as he picked up on several life-signs within the palace. A couple of these signatures began moving about. Naruto figured that it was just the night-guards or something. He also recognized one. It was the hot-headed, ill-tempered Kohaku and her small unit returning for the night. Obviously she had very little to even no faith in Naruto's words because she had been out searching late every night. It was no big deal as far as Naruto was concerned because he figured that he would be doing the very same if it were his sister. There was nothing wrong with this, but then he noticed that while they were entering the palace, another signature was sneaking away. Naruto changed his sign to better check if the signature could use chakra. Finding that they could, Naruto figured that it was a shinobi… which could mean that it _was_ one of the "12 Guardians". Like Yamato said, they must be going out to check on their hostage.

"Pinpoint…"

Naruto opened his eyes and hopped off of the bed. He crept through the halls and came to Kohaku's room. He then quietly entered.

Kohaku couldn't sleep herself and was just sitting on her bed. Once she noticed a figure creeping into her room, she immediately grabbed her weapon and charged the mysterious assailant. She was surprised when something long and furry wrapped around her spear and instantly restrained her. Out of the shadows stepped Naruto shushing her…

A mysterious hooded figure made its way through the forest. It traveled far before it came to one of the burnt paths of debris the Leaf shinobi had encountered and looked around to see if anyone was following. It then passed it and headed further before going down a path of thick and smelly bushes. After a small hike, the figure came to a mountain. It whistled and a boulder was rolled away by a few soldiers. The figure then entered and the armed soldiers stood guard outside.

"Ah, you're here," a man with shoulder-length black hair and pencil mustache said. He wore a majestic robe and had a haughty attitude as he was waited on hand and foot by a number of the soldiers inside. "So… how are things on your front?"

The figure said, "Things could worsen rather quickly. The Feudal Lord has hired shinobi of the Leaf Village, and they came awfully close several times to finding this place. I suggest that we leave here before we're discovered."

After giving an irritated sigh, the haughty man whined, "_Fine_… as long as it isn't another uncomfortable, stuffy cave where I have to be around these incompetent guards and their horrible and foul odors… Can't we just hold up at a nice motel, or maybe someplace better, like my--"

"No!" the figure denied. "If you're seen with the girl or if she's seen in someplace like a motel or your place then everything will be blown. What we're going to do is find another place to make a hidden lair and--"

The figure quieted as it heard the clanging of armor and the thuds of bodies hitting the ground. The figure peered out the corner of its eye and, along with the snobby man and the rest of the soldiers, was surprised to see intruders at the entrance.

_"What!? How is this possible? I was certain that I wasn't being followed... How...?" _the hooded figure thought in disbelief.

At the entrance of the once hidden lair now stood Naruto, Kohaku, Neji, Sakura, and Kiba and Akamaru.

Naruto smiled and said, "Nice place ya got here..."

* * *

**End of chapter… **

After being deterred in succession, it seems that the Leaf shinobi may have caught a break in the case…

After trailing a mystery figure, what have they stumbled upon?

Next chapter: What's _really_ going on here…?


	11. Mystery Figure

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap:**

The Leaf shinobi take on a mission to rescue a kidnapped princess but hit several snags. Naruto comes up with an idea to find the princess and picks up on something. This proves to be successful as he finds someone suspiciously sneaking out of the palace...

* * *

**Mystery Figure**

A mysterious hooded figure made its way through the forest. It came to the collapsed path and looked around. It then passed it and headed down a path of thick and smelly bushes. After a hike, the figure came to a mountain. He whistled and a boulder was rolled away by a few soldiers. The figure then entered and the armed soldiers stood guard.

"Ah, you're here," a man with shoulder-length black hair and pencil mustache said. He wore a majestic robe and had a haughty attitude as he was waited on hand and foot by a number of the soldiers inside. "So… how are things on the front?"

The figure said, "Things could worsen rather quickly. The Feudal Lord has hired shinobi of the Leaf Village, and they came close several times as they proceeded to search for _this very_ lair. I suggest that we leave here before we're discovered."

As the two were having their conversation, it went unrealized that a few Leaf shinobi and a tempered princess had appeared outside. As soon as they arrived, a figure slipped into the darkness of the forest with Kohaku questioning this action. Naruto's black eyes changed back to normal as he dropped to a knee to catch his breath. That wasn't the only change to occur as his white hair became blonde and his long twin tails shortened.

Sakura looked worried. "Naruto… What you just did now…"

"It's fine… I'm alright. I'm just not very used to using it in such a way, so I need a little time to catch my breath…"

"Jeez… and just when I was starting to think you were cool, but I guess that once a loser always a loser," Kiba commented.

"What was that?" Naruto questioned with an irritated look on his face.

"You're holding up our process, ya know…"

"Are you kidding me…!? If it weren't for me, that creep probably would've discovered us long ago!" Naruto angrily pointed out.

As the two got in each other's face, Kohaku remarked, "We don't have time for this… We have to find my sister."

As she started to approach the only seen entrance, Neji construed, "It would be nice if we could remain undiscovered."

The blinked their eyes as Neji and Sakura followed Kohaku's lead…

After giving an irritated sigh, the haughty man whined, "_Fine_… as long as it isn't another uncomfortable, stuffy cave… Can't we just hold up at a nice motel, or maybe someplace better, like my--"

"No!" the figure denied. "If you're seen with the girl then everything will be ruined. What we're going to do is find another place to make a hidden lair and--"

He was silenced by the clanging of armor and the thuds of bodies hitting the ground. The figure peered out the corner of its eye and, along with the snobby man and the rest of the soldiers, was surprised to see intruders at the entrance. There stood Kohaku, Neji, Sakura, Kiba and Akamaru, and a now white-haired Naruto.

"So all clues that we picked up before were just part of a way to lead us into the traps you set up for us so that we would think that our leads had been snuffed out. You probably hoped that we would try snooping around those places when the actually hideout was here," Kiba spoke up with a grin on his face.

Nervously, the man asked, "How-… how did you find us?"

Naruto explained, "I was able to sense your chakra signature and trailed you here…"

"_Shit…! And I thought that I had perfectly concealed my signature so that not even the best sensors could find me,"_ the hooded figure thought.

"Now that we found you, we're going to rescue the girl and expose you…!" Kiba exclaimed as he pointed at the hooded figure. After a brief moment, he then said, "Just who the hell are you anyway, you hooded freak!!?"

Everyone looked to Naruto. He responded, "I haven't been able to recognize the chakra as anyone we've come across yet," Naruto disclosed.

"It doesn't matter anyway. We're going to save my sister and bring the rest of them in for questioning!"

Without hesitation, Kohaku rushed into the cave. The hooded figure ordered the soldiers to attack and for the man with the mustache to grab the younger princess and run. A couple of soldiers advanced on Kohaku first. With a couple of punches, she knocked both on their backs. Another came at her with a drawn sword. Kohaku easily disabled him with her spear and planted the rounded end of her staff into the base of his neck. Another attacked with a similar result, as did another and another. She soon found herself surrounded by armed soldiers. With no fear in her eyes or heart, she beckoned them all to come at her…

They slowly began advancing, and with the shout of one, they rushed at her. Kohaku was ready to take them all down but was shocked from her fit of rage as she could hear some of the men in the crowd grunting and groaning. She soon found why as Naruto forced his way into the center along with her, sliding in and flipping any soldier in his way. He met up with her and smiled. Even though she felt that this wasn't the time for it, she couldn't help but smile as well. The two stood back-to-back as Naruto drew his two curved blades.

The group of soldiers attacked. Naruto and Kohaku stood their ground as the first few got to them. With one swing of his blades, he easily cut through the soldiers' armor and into their bodies. Kohaku knocked her couple of attackers away and blocked the third. Blocking with her spear over her head, Kohaku looked for a way to defeat the soldier quickly before another took advantage. She noticed that he had seemingly lost his balance. She quickly shoved him back and readied for the next. As she did, she noticed a familiarly long tail wrapped around the soldiers foot. It then hoisted him into the air and hurled him into the oncoming soldiers on one side. The two exchanged a shy smile once more as another onslaught of soldiers attacked…

Suddenly, the rest of their team burst through and joined them…

"We didn't come here to defeat them all," Neji said.

"Yeah… While the two of you were having the time of your lives, that guy and the freak in the hood headed further into the cave," Kiba told them.

As the countless number of soldiers encircled them once more, Sakura said, "Looks like we'll have to get through these guys to give pursuit…"

Naruto proudly shoved his thumb into his chest as he said, "Just leave these guys to me…"

Before he could do anything however, he found Neji already taking action. Having already taken out a handful, he looked back at Naruto who returned with a scowl. Another tried to blindside him and Neji countered, "Gentle Fist!"

Sakura started to say, "Then we can go after the princess and leave these guys to…"

She and the others were surprised to see Naruto posturing similarly to Neji. He had even disabled a few enemies by hitting them with strikes utilizing chakra. Neji struck another and Naruto responded in kind…

Kiba said in disbelief, "Are they…?"

Sakura flatly nodded her head. Kohaku's perception on this was slightly different, _"Wow…! It's like their challenging each other after all of these years!"_ she thought as her eyes sparkled in amazement.

The three watched on as the two would defeat opponent after opponent and check the progress of the other. They were indeed _"flexing" _as they seemingly mirrored one another. Even Kiba and Sakura had to admit that they were impressed.

"Eight Trigrams: Sky Palm!" Neji thrusted his hand forward, blowing back several soldiers in one try.

Naruto saw this as he grabbed a hold of a soldier. He stopped as if pondering of a way to contend with Neji's last technique. Something seemed to come to him and he tossed the soldier into the air…

"Stellar Winds!!"

**A/N: Naruto originally used this technique to defend against the attacking Sound-nins, Dosu, Kin, and Zaku. He had no real idea that he could do something like it, but his will and determination brought on such a power.**

Whitish chakra began to swirl around him before it became circular. In the instant it did, it created a great wind that snatched many of the soldiers from the ground and twirled them around. Naruto ended the technique and those caught up in it were blown to the walls of the cave. Their armor had been scorched and some even slightly melted. Naruto flashed a smile at Neji who responded with a faint smirk. Neji then charged at Naruto, thrusting his palm. As he made contact, Naruto showed a mixture of shock and horror…

He exploded, "WHAT THE HELL, YOU BASTARD!!?"

"Instead of yelling at me, perhaps you should be thanking me," Neji calmly said as the soldier behind Naruto fell over. "You're the one that was naïve enough to drop your guard even though you're surrounded by enemies," Neji snidely put.

It's true that Naruto had dropped his guard, but he had also come extremely close to grazing him as well. Besides that, "I didn't need _**your**_ help to take care of that guy. I knew he was attacking from behind, and I was gonna take care of it myself!" Naruto snarled.

Neji was about to comment on this, but he was shocked as Naruto suddenly appeared behind him. Neji turned to see a broad smile on Naruto's face as he thrusted his leg out and flipped the soldier over his and Neji's heads. Neji watched and saw that there was another Naruto. He connected with three uppercuts…

He called out, "Dragon's Dance!!" and ended the volley with well placed kicks from both Narutos to the soldier's abdomen. As the soldier collided into the cave wall, the Narutos flexed their arms with another smirk on their faces.

"Ok, enough of this… We have to go after those guys who took Princess Kaede before they get away," Sakura mentioned.

She turned to see Kiba nodding, but Kohaku seemed to be captivated by all this. Not wanting to repeat herself, Sakura led her further into the cave by grabbing her hand. Before long, they came to a several forks in the road. This only slowed them down momentarily as both Kiba and Akamaru followed their noses.

Naruto and Neji were still showing off while they defeated the multitude of soldiers in the cave. Tired of the games, Neji decided to put an end to it…

"Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!!"

Seeing what he was getting at, Naruto cycled through seals and spun between a large group of soldiers as the other leapt over him, landed a spinning kick to the back of the head of a soldier, and forced him into the other Naruto's awaiting shoulder. Naruto finished his seals to exclaim, "Starburst: Pulsing Nova!!"

An explosion of chakra filled the cave as they collided. As the smoke finally cleared, bodies were strewn all about, and even some outside, of the cave. Standing alone, barely, were an exhausted Neji and a now blonde, monkey-tailed Naruto. They faintly smirked at each other as they tried to catch their breaths.

Kohaku and the others had taken too much time. They were still within the cave and hadn't caught up to the perpetrators. The hooded figure and his accomplice, along with a tied and gagged Kaede, came to another exit from the cave. They bolted out but were surprised by…

"You may as well give up now… You won't be getting by me."

The two stopped and looked around. Standing on a tree branch was Shino. He told them to stay where they were. Not wanting to be captured now, the hooded figure began cycling through seals. Shino acted quickly. He threw up his arms and a swarm of bugs flew from his sleeves. They surrounded the hood and attacked.

Kohaku and the others finally exited the cave to find Shino in the tree as his bugs engulfed the hood.

"Release my sister!" Kohaku confronted the lone man. As he turned, she said, "How could you do this to family, uncle?!"

He cowered as he slowly set Kaede down and slowly backed away. "O-ok… Just… don't hurt me…"

"Uncle…!?" Sakura and Kiba questioned.

"I… I just thought that it was unfair that my _brother_ was given control of this land just because he was born first. Tha-… that whole thing is a crock. He didn't even want to do it to begin with, but now… now he's the Feudal Lord…"

Kohaku walked over to her sister saying, "He was willing to relinquish his title to you but felt that you didn't have the country's well-being in mind… This act is proof that he was right about your selfishness!"

She began untying her sister who, with tears in her eyes, looked happy to see her. As she did this, her uncle slyly pulled out his saber. As he struck, the present shinobi tried to warn Kohaku. She turned to see him slashing at her and her sister. Selflessly, she protected her younger sister and was slashed across her back. She winced and cried as the blade ripped through her skin. He prepared to strike her once more but was grabbed and stopped by a hand. He looked to this hand as it reached from within the swarm. Suddenly, Shino's insects began falling to the ground. With all of them dropping dead, the hooded figure disappeared with Kaede and Kohaku's uncle in a puff of smoke.

"Sister…" Kaede wept. "I… I'm sorry… This is all my fault for not being as strong as you…"

Naruto and Neji caught up as Kohaku shushed her sister. She placed a finger to her lips. "No… I'm sorry for not being there… to protect you… I put becoming a warrior before my own little sister… and this happened… I'm just glad you're safe now…"

She shivered before she was finally still after passing out. Tears streamed down Kaede's face. Sakura rushed over and immediately began treating her wound. She told the others that it would take her time to properly heal her. Unable to do anything more at the moment, the rest stood by as Sakura focused on her Medical jutsu.

_The palace… _

The rest of the Leaf shinobi had stayed behind to keep an eye on the rest of the "12 Guardians" in hopes of discovering who the traitor was. Yamato and Sai were stationed inside while Hinata was on the roof surveying the outside with her new and improved H.A.L.O. Using it, she scanned the surrounding area for heat signatures.

She found one making its way to the palace and, through a built-in radio, informed those inside, "There's someone coming towards the palace… They're running right up the wall… and they've entered through a window on the third floor… Should I pursue?"

Yamato replied, "No… Leave it to me and Sai. You stay where you are just in case he tries to escape, there are more, or Naruto and the others return…"

"Roger…"

Yamato and Sai split up to scour the palace for someone sneaking about. They checked the third floor but saw nothing. They then decided to search the other floors in hopes of something turning up. Once again they found nothing but an awkward smell. Maybe Kiba or the others would have better luck once they returned. All was quiet as they guarded the Feudal Lord and his wife while waiting for the others to return. Hinata sat on the roof, ever vigilant, when, out of nowhere, a big group of people appeared below. She lifted her visor to get a better look…

Realizing that it was Naruto, she leapt down to greet the group. Her happy expression disappeared as she noticed an exhausted-looking, blonde Naruto, numerous tied soldiers, a crying Kaede, and Kohaku draped over Sakura's shoulder. She informed her fellow Medic-nin that she had managed to close the wound, but they would have to give it time to see if she would fully recover.

Most headed into the palace while others kept an eye on the soldiers. The Feudal Lord and his wife were ecstatic to see that their youngest was now safe. It was unfortunate that Kohaku had been injured in the process, but at least she was alive as well. They rejoiced to have their daughters with them once again.

While they showed their love, the Leaf-nin met in the hall outside, with the exception of Sakura and Hinata who monitored Kohaku and stood guard. The Leaf-nin discussed the events of what had just transpired to come up with a solution to their still dismal problems. They accomplished their mission, but if they were to leave things as they were, there could be a chance that it all could happen all over again… with worse results.

The Feudal Lord overheard this and was livid to hear that his own brother had betrayed him for something as petty as a title and position of power. He pleaded with them to stay and capture those who committed this atrocity. He even offered to pay more to the village. Even though they were going to anyway, they agreed to this. In order to accomplish this, they would have to find some way to track down the culprit that had supposedly snuck into the palace. First they would have to make sure the Feudal Lord and his family was safe. They left Hinata, Sai, and Sakura in charge of this. The rest then began rounding up the suspects. Along the way, Kiba and Akamaru, and Naruto picked up on a scent that they remembered from the hidden lair. They followed it to a room, but there was no one inside.

"Who does this room belong to?" Yamato questioned.

"It's Shin's room," Yuzuki answered, unsure of what they were getting at.

They had their prime suspect in this caper. They gathered the rest and found Shin, Daisuke, Kouki, and Ryou in the halls. They collected them as well and headed outside. They encircled the 12 and informed them of what they had discovered…

Yamato began, "We believe that we have discovered the identity of the one in cahoots with the Feudal Lord's brother… We ask that you make this easy for us because we also have countless soldiers that we can interrogate to find the truth…"

"Wait…! You think it's one of us?!" Kazuki outburst.

"We know it's a ninja and he entered the palace through one of your rooms," Neji informed them.

Eyes began to shift among the "12 Guardians"…

Yamato then revealed their suspect, "Come quietly, Shin…"

Immediately, Shin started cycling through hand-seals. Hiroto and Yuzuki pleaded with him not to let things get out of hand, but… as soon as he finished his seals, he darted by Daisuke, Ayumu, and Kazuki to slash Hiroto with his claws. Before he could even fall to the ground or anyone could react, Shin appeared next to the forest. In a blur, he then disappeared and reappeared randomly as he went further into the darkness.

Their suspect had unexpectedly gotten away. As the other "Guardians" carried Hiroto's large frame into the palace, Yamato began to question the recent events…

"_He got away, but could discovering the culprit's identity really have been that easy…? With the ability he just displayed, I don't think that Hinata would've even been able to see him sneaking into the palace… Could it be… misdirection!? Perhaps the soldiers the others captured could shine some light on things…"_

He turned to the soldiers but was shocked to find that blood was pooling around a great deal of them. A few were spitting up blood. The rest came to the conclusion that Shin must have done it as he escaped. It was a truly frightening display. Naruto had something else to say to this. He had a feeling that he knew exactly who was actually responsible for the death of the soldiers and perhaps the one who concocted this whole thing…

* * *

**End of chapter… **

The one behind this fiasco is discovered to be one of the "12 Ninja Guardians", but Yamato has his doubts…

Just as the mission nears its close, more chaos occurs to keep it alive…

Next chapter: Out of the wood works…


	12. The Lines Are Drawn

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap:**

After searching for those that had kidnapped the Feudal Lord's daughter, the Leaf shinobi catch a break in the case. An unfortunate one however. The ones hired to protect the royal family turned out to be the culprits. This leads to an unavoidable dispute, and now...

* * *

**The Lines Are Drawn**

Naruto felt that he knew who was really responsible for the death of the soldiers. He just couldn't figure out exactly how it was executed. Without explaining it to everyone else, Naruto made his way into the palace and looked around for the "Guardians".

"Alright… Where is…?"

_A disclosed location… _

Kohaku's uncle and a handful of soldiers were sitting around. Like always, they had to listen to his incessant complaining about the comfort-level of their current hideout. Relief finally came when the hooded figure arrived.

"You said that you were going to end this so that I could finally take my rightful place as Feudal Lord… What happened?!"

The hood replied, "I was, but I risked exposure if I did it then. I tried to wait for the right time, but those hired ninjas spoiled it with their investigation. I might've also given away my identity to that sensor that they have by taking care of the soldiers…"

"You're welcome for that distraction by the way," a voice called out from behind the hood.

They all turned to see who it was as the hood said, "It was a good enough distraction, Shin. It bought me the time I needed."

"Yeah, but what do we do now?"

"I figure that my identity is already known, so I'll just leave it up to the others. I'm sure that they'll finish off the Feudal Lord and his family, and you'll finally be able to take the seat of power, my Lord," the hood bowed.

Naruto looked frustrated and everyone else looked confused…

"Wha-… What are you doing?" Izumi questioned.

"I'm looking for someone…"

"Who?" Takumi asked.

"The one… You know the one…! You should all know the one I'm talking about!"

Clearly Naruto had forgotten exactly _who _it was that he was searching for. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't clarify what he was trying to say. He explained to them that there was another traitor besides Shin, and from him talking about _"the one"_, they figured that he was talking about one of the people that were missing at the moment.

"We have to find them quickly," Yamato stated.

"What can you tell us about them and their abilities?" Shino asked.

Ayumu took this one, "Daisuke is an excellent fighter, but he's a Medic-nin… Kouki uses lightning-based jutsu… Ryou uses water-based jutsu… and Yuzuki wields her weapon with great expertise, but other than that, we don't much else about her abilities. She hasn't really had any reason to go all out…"

Naruto couldn't match the names to the faces, and so…

"We have to find them immediately… We don't know which one Naruto is thinking of, so we'll just have to question them all…"

"Hinata… do you want to finish up on Kohaku's injury?" Sakura asked as if she was a little ashamed.

"Why would I do that?"

"Be-… because you're better at this sort of thing than I am… I've seen you stitch severed limbs back on with your jutsu…"

"Tha-… that's nice of you to say, but… don't you think that it would be best if you were the one to see to Kohaku's recovery. It can be a great learning experience and motivator to become better…"

Sakura agreed, "Yeah… I guess you're right, Hinata… I should have some faith in myself and improve where I'm lacking… It's just that… lately… I've felt that I've been lacking in a lot of different areas."

Hinata wasn't sure of what to say. She wanted to reassure Sakura that she was being her own worst enemy, but didn't know how to go about it if that's just the way she felt. If it were Naruto, she was sure that something would come to mind to make him feel better, but this was Sakura. Hinata knew her, but she didn't feel that she really _knew her_ the way she did Naruto.

The shinobi scattered about the palace in search of the missing four. As dawn came, they regrouped outside the Feudal Lord's bedroom. They then revealed their findings…

"I found Kouki in the kitchen going through the fridge," Ayaka said.

"Ryou was in the restroom," Chinatsu revealed with a slight blush and an embarrassed expression.

"I saw Daisuke in the hall," Takumi said.

"Then, what about Yuzuki? Did anyone find her?"

Everyone shook their heads…

"Then she--,"

Yamato was interrupted by Chinatsu. "There's no way! It couldn't have been her! She wouldn't have done something like this! I'm sure she's somewhere here in the palace!"

"No, someone's chakra signature is missing," Naruto confirmed. "But I still don't know who it is exactly…"

"So then… where do we go from here?" Chinatsu asked.

"Lead Naruto to the others while everyone searches again," Yamato suggested.

First Naruto was led to the kitchen. After clearing Kouki, Naruto joined him in raiding the fridge. They were then off to the restroom to find Ryou…

The Feudal Lord's door opened and closed, surprising everyone inside.

"Oh… Did you want something?" Sakura asked.

Naruto, Takumi, and Ayaka arrived at the restroom Ryou was said to be in, but… there was no one inside.

Sakura, Hinata, and the Feudal Lord's family were now all trapped in a giant cube of water. It was hard to move around in. If something wasn't done soon, they would all drown…

"Maybe he's in another restroom," Ayaka considered.

They decided to give this a chance and scoured the palace for Ryou. The only problem was that there were so many restrooms within the palace that checking each one would take some time.

Also searching for a missing person was the other Leaf-nin and the remaining "Guardians". Just about every hall and room of the palace had been checked when…

"We've been looking all over for you…"

Back in the Feudal Lord's room, Hinata and Sakura struggled to stay alive. Everyone trapped within the cube was, but Kohaku was helpless. She was asleep when they had been captured so unexpectedly. They didn't know how much longer they could hold out as they were fading fast…

All of a sudden, the door opened. Sakura and Hinata began feeling the water heat up. The next thing they knew, they were breathing air and coughing up any water that they had swallowed. Hinata and Sakura woke to the sight of Yuzuki across the way. With a sorrowful look, she walked over to the unconscious princesses. She shifted her weapon to her side as she grabbed one. Both Hinata and Sakura watched as she began giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to Kaede. Sakura then proceeded to check on Kohaku.

Hinata heard a shuffling sound outside the window and went to check it. She saw a figure leap down and run off into the woods.

She then heard Chinatsu say, "That jutsu…… It… can't be…"

Hinata was about to ask what she meant, but Naruto bursted into the room. He looked worried. He , and everyone behind him, was assured that everyone was alright for the moment. All the remaining shinobi in the palace gathered inside the Feudal Lord's room. It was then that they discovered…

"I felt more chakra signatures leave. With the ones left, I guess we know which of the 'Ninja Guardians' are the traitors," Naruto said.

Other than the Leaf-nin, there were seven "Guardians" left, but Chinatsu commented, "And they were some of the stronger shinobi in our group… I can't believe this…!"

"So what do we do?" Kiba asked.

"Since they just left, they'll probably regroup and come up with a plan of action. For now, we should get as much rest as we can… If they decide to come back… I'm sure that we'll have to put up some fight if we're going to protect the Feudal Lord and his family," Yuzuki said.

Everyone agreed and went to rest up for the possible upcoming battle. Yamato would personally see to it that the Feudal Lord and his wife were safe for the rest of the night. Hinata and Sakura stayed with Kohaku and Kaede. Naruto entered to check on the two sisters before trying to get some rest of his own…

"They're fine, Naruto… Go rest up. By what Chinatsu and Yuzuki said, we'll have our work cut out for us, and we'll need all the help we can get," Sakura told him.

"I'll be fine… I just wanted to make sure that they were alright. They've been through so much recently. I just couldn't help but worry a little…"

Hinata and Sakura were sitting by the bed on the floor. Naruto walked up and, to the surprise of the two, sat right between them. Hinata instantly blushed. Even Sakura began blushing slightly. She didn't know why because he was always trying to get close to her, but this was the only time that she didn't feel like kicking him away. Trying to keep it from seeming like a big deal, Sakura tried to act like it really wasn't. Hinata, on the other hand, was panicking on the inside. She didn't know what to do or how to react in this situation. It was driving her crazy. Her feelings were taking over, and she wanted to tell him but refrained because she felt it would be inappropriate. Before long, she settled down as she followed Sakura's lead. They rested their heads on his shoulders and everything became more comfortable. The silence was soothing and they all began snoozing.

"Ah… So you're finally here… I assume that you finished things," the hooded figure said.

"We would've, but it went awry," a male voice said. "We got outta there after that…"

"I humbly apologize for failing," a female voice said.

"Don't," the hood said. "This just gives me the pleasure of killing them myself… I'll enjoy it very much…"

The door quietly creaked open and, not making any sudden movements, Naruto watched as someone approached. He then heard her say, "Kohaku… Kaede… I'm sorry for this…"

Naruto was startled by the sudden movement of Hinata and Sakura. They had jumped up and were now holding kunais to Yuzuki's throat. She immediately dropped her weapon. With one of his tails, Naruto caught it and stood to his feet.

"I can't believe you of all people would be doing something like this," Sakura said.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked.

"Answer him!" Sakura threatened.

"No, I mean the two of you," he said.

"You both acted before she could even do anything… She was just going to sit down."

"Kohaku… you're awake… But how long…?" Sakura asked.

"Since before Yuzuki walked into the room. I saw the three of you sitting beside the bed and didn't want to wake you," she revealed. She then caused them all to blush as she went on to say, "It was so cute seeing you all snuggle together that I couldn't bear ruining it…"

As her blush slowly faded, Hinata asked, "Then… what was she saying before?"

After they backed-off a little, she told them, "I was apologizing for letting this happen… I promised Kohaku that I would look after her family while she was away… but I failed. I let my guard down and Kaede, who I've often thought of as my own, was taken… My heart broke when I thought of the horrible things that could happen. Desperately, I searched all over for her, but, even with the help of my fellow 'Guardians', I failed… It wasn't until recently that I realized why that was… I let myself get too comfortable because I thought of everyone as my family, and… like always… I let them all down."

Tears began to form in her eyes. Kohaku tried to cheer her up, "It's not your fault… You did the best you could…" She turned to Naruto and the girls and told them, "Before becoming a 'Guardian' for my father, Yuzuki was once an elite shinobi in her village… After an incident that took the lives of her son and two daughters, she was in a pitiful state in which she couldn't do anything but grieve for them. After some time, and with nothing left in her life, she returned to being a shinobi. She poured herself into her work and retained her status of being elite. This caught my father's attention… She's been getting on in years, but I still believe she's as great as ever," she sat up and hugged Yuzuki.

Hinata and Sakura put their weapons away as they began to feel sorry for Yuzuki and everything that had happened. Naruto handed her her weapon as he said, "So what if you think you've failed here and there… The important thing is that you give it your all. With the help of _real_ friends, I'm sure that we'll be able to get through this…"

"But I don't want anyone else to die."

"I know how you feel… but… sometimes that's just the way it goes… The only thing you can do, is do your best to protect everyone…"

The hooded figure placed a few ninja tools into his holster and anywhere else he could put them. As he began removing his hood, he looked over his shoulder to say, "You're coming along as well, Hiraku. You and your personal soldiers may come in handy…"

The high and mighty man with the mustache reluctantly stood to his feet and beckoned his soldiers to follow. The hood fully removed his cloak as he gave the order to move out…

Not long after, they exited the woods and were in sight of the palace. They were about to advance when they saw a bright golden light coming right at them. They quickly jumped out of its path, but a few of the soldiers were too slow and many of them were blown away…

"Well… ending this in one go is out of the question," a blonde-haired Naruto huffed to Yamato.

"You take this time to rest… Keep an eye on the Feudal Lord and his family. Leave it to us," he told him.

Naruto's face turned up as the others took off, leaving him alone on guard duty…

A face-off was taking place among the "12 Ninja Guardians". On one side Hiroto stared into the eyes of Shin, Takumi stared at Ryou, Ayumu at Ayaka, Chinatsu glared at Izumi, and Daisuke at Kazuki.

"How could you do such a thing…?! You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" Yuzuki raised her voice.

"It's pretty simple… With the Feudal Lord's younger brother in the 'seat of power', we'll be given great power as well for helping him. We'll each be given riches for our services as well as our own little kingdoms to rule in this land," Shin answered with a grin on his evil-looking face.

"We trusted you guys, and this is what we get…!? If that's how it's gonna be, then we may as well settle things on the battlefield," Kouki said.

Instantly, they clashed. The traitors quickly scattered and were followed. Fights began erupting all around the woods and the palace.

_Takumi, Kouki, & Ryou _

Takumi swung his trident about, trying to land a hit on Ryou. Ryou bobbed and weaved and barely avoided having his throat slashed. He dropped to the ground as Takumi thrusted.

At this moment, Kouki jumped in. He threw several shuriken and kunai but missed his target. Takumi spun his trident about and attacked once again. He swung his trident and Kouki jumped out of the way. Ryou popped up and grabbed ahold of him. From there, Kouki came back and punched him in the face…

_Shin & Hiroto _

Shin's great speed was a big advantage for him. He could easily attack and dodge the behemoth Hiroto's slower attacks, but it didn't help against Hiroto's hardened defense. From the start of the battle, Hiroto had activated his jutsu in which he encased his body in an armor of rocks and earth. Shin was beginning to get frustrated because he hadn't been able to do much damage and he didn't really have anything else up his sleeves…

_Ayaka & Ayumu_

"Stand still and you can have all the dirt you want, you _'flower child'_… when I put you down for your final nap," Ayumu tried to trash talk.

Ayaka stopped to say, "That wasn't very good… I know you're supposed to be bad and everything, but trash talking just doesn't suit you."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Ayumu agreed. "I think I'd much prefer it that my fists do the talking!"

There was no complaint from Ayaka. Ayumu resumed attacking, but Ayaka just continued to dance around them. Ayumu punched at her face, but Ayaka spun under it while nearly sweeping her off her feet. Ayumu regained her balance and tried a straight kick. Ayaka gracefully spun around it and punched her in the face. Ayumu fell back, rubbed her cheek, and growled before attacking again…

_Izumi & Chinatsu_

The two had come to a stalemate. They weren't getting anywhere, so Chinatsu decided to question Izumi's motives…

"I know that we don't always get along… that we've always been somewhat _'rivals'_, but I never thought it would come down to this. I considered you my closest friend…"

Izumi scowled, "Don't try to act like a saint now…! We both know that if _you _were asked to do this by him instead of me, the roles would be reversed…"

Chinatsu looked down as she said, "_'Him'_, huh…?"

_Kazuki, Yuzuki, & Daisuke_

Having stopped for the moment, this was the perfect opportunity to have a little _"chat"_…

"I can't believe you of all people," Yuzuki said. "I thought of you like no other… I thought we had something special…"

"Of course you did," Kazuki responded. "That's how these things tend to go. It isn't fair to those that it happens to, but--,"

"That's some answer, Kazuki… I didn't think you were the type to think that way," Daisuke jumped in. Kazuki looked down as he balled his fists. Smugly, Daisuke said, "Nothing is as it seems… it seems… We all were no more family than you believed… Yuzuki… you looked to replace your lost loved ones with others, and look at how it turned out… The man you loved and thought would reciprocate that love, happened to be someone who only loved and looked out for himself… I led you on because it amused me. Besides… even if I wanted someone to spend time with… why would I want to be with an old hag like you…? Who would…?"

"I would!!" Kazuki exclaimed as he charged for Daisuke.

Kohaku had risen from her bed, wounds and all. She gathered a number of palace soldiers, had some stay behind to protect her family, and the rest were to follow her. She stepped foot out of the palace ready to do battle. They would lend a hand to those on their side however they could.

_Shin vs Hiroto_

The entire area had been demolished. Trees had been splintered and rocks and boulders had been smashed to dust.

Taking a moment for a breather, Shin thought, _"His movements are slow when he isn't falling from the sky. If I can keep him grounded, then that makes it easy for me to avoid the rest of his attacks…… But… this bastard… he's the worst opponent for me with his defensive technique. I thought that I could wear him down, but this drawn out battle is starting to get to me as well…" _

He was startled from his thoughts as he heard, "METEOR SMASH!!"

Hiroto came crashing down from the sky. The impact created a big crater and shook the earth. Using his great speed, Shin had managed to get away unharmed.

As he caught his breath, he thought, _"I guess that I'll really have to really turn it up if I want to finally kill this guy…" _

Hiroto climbed out of the crater to see Shin blazing through several hand-seals. He was amazed at the speed but wasn't too surprised. The eerie scraping of Shin's claws was horrible and seemed like a sign of something even more terrible to come. Shin finally stopped and glanced at Hiroto with a psychotic look on his face and in his beady eyes. Hiroto was taken aback by this and how he suddenly began to violently shake in place. Before anything could pop into his head about it, he noticed Shin make a sudden movement. He tried to quickly harden his body with his technique to cover for the cracks in his armor, but… at his dismay, he felt several sharp pains to those openings. The pain forced him to release his jutsu. He then felt more pain in his abdomen as he found Shin standing before him with a sadistic look on his face.

_Chinatsu vs Izumi _

"Fire Style: Streaming Flame Jutsu!!"

Like a human flamethrower, Chinatsu spit a stream of flame at her once "friendly-rival". Izumi moved quickly to avoid being burned. She rolled away and ducked behind a tree that was quickly turning into firewood.

Izumi cycled through hand-seals and jumped from her hidning place. "Water Style: Flowing Stream!"

To counter, Izumi spewed a similar stream of water from her mouth. The two attacks collided, leaving behind a wall of steam. It was then dispersed as the two breezed through it, clashing with their kunai. They bypassed each other as the scraping of their tools sounded. While in the air, Chinatsu turned back to attack…

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!!"

Five small fireballs were blown Izumi's way. She quickly cycled through seals…

"Water Style: Water Wall!"

Izumi spewed water from her mouth that rose up into a protective wall. It effectively put out the fire, but through it came shuriken. With her defense ineffective, Izumi could do nothing more than cover herself as they tore through her body. Once the threat passed, she looked across the way, but…

"NOW IT'S TIME TO PUT AN END TO THIS!!" Chinatsu yelled.

She crashed down on Izumi. She instantly drove a pair of kunai into her opponent's chest as they hit the ground. Chinatsu looked disappointed as the Izumi below her was revealed to be…

"Tch! A 'Water clone'…"

She looked up into a tree as she heard Izumi say, "That was pretty good, but not good enough… Now I understand why he came to me instead of you… He not only likes me better, but I also have more to offer when it comes to fighting," she sneered as she, literally and metaphorically, looked down on her "rival".

_Takumi, Kouki, & Ryou _

All three were struggling to catch their breaths. As they stood across from each other, it was as if they were trying to break the enemy's will with their menacing scowls. Takumi raised his hand to clean the blood from his nose and undauntedly wiped it on his pants. No signs of any emotion, Takumi began the attack again. Wielding his trident, he pulled no punches as he tried to impale both of his opponents. He swung high, he swung low, he swung all about, but Kouki and Ryou wouldn't allow the slightest mistake to end their lives.

Takumi swung low and Kouki and Ryou took this chance to distance themselves. Kouki flipped over it to the side while Ryou flipped back. Takumi began twirling his trident. He then stopped as he reared back and launched it at Ryou…

"Lightning Style: Current Rod…"

Ryou was stunned as the trident was embedded into the tree, barely missing his head. He was then shocked as he noticed a thread connected to the trident, and a tingling feeling was felt. A great surge of electricity was then felt as the tree exploded.

Ryou was partially saved because of this, but pieces of the tree had carved and embedded into his body. He winced in pain as he rolled over onto his belly. Not even showing any signs of disappointment that his technique was unsuccessful, Takumi reeled in his weapon. Kouki acted quickly. He cut the thread attached to the trident in hopes of throwing Takumi off his game. Like usual, Takumi expressed nothing at this. Kouki jumped into the air, cycling through seals, and tossed a ring of ninja tools around Takumi…

"Lightning Style: Electric Field Entrapment!"

The area within the circle of weapons, including Takumi, were then lit up with electricity. A slight twitch was all that could be obtained from the stoic warrior. After a moment of consecutive current, Takumi showed signs of the technique getting to him. He jumped out of the circle but landed fairly close. He twitched and grunted slightly as he shakily got back to a vertical base.

_Ayaka vs Ayumu _

Ayumu had blood trailing from her mouth and lash marks all over her body. From her torn and tattered clothing, as well as the marks on her exposed areas, it was clear that she had been on the worst end of this fight as she spit out some blood. Ayaka, on the other hand, hardly had a scratch on her…

"We don't have to do this, Ayumu… If you turn yourself in now, then we could settle this and no one has to get hurt," Ayaka said as she wound up her whip.

"You're looking down on me…!? I know that you're better when it comes to taijutsu… but what about ninjutsu…?" Ayumu smirked.

"You don't mean…?"

Ayumu cycled through hand-seals. As she finished, Ayaka quickly shut her eyes tightly…

_Kazuki, Yuzuki, & Daisuke _

"I admire your spunk kid, but it was futile from the beginning," Daisuke stated as he dragged a bloody Kazuki across the ground by his hair. "I know you well enough to know that your jutsu has flaws in it… but you have no idea what I'm capable of," he gloated.

"Stop this! Don't hurt him any further, Daisuke," Yuzuki pleaded. "How could you do something like this? I always thought that you were a gentle spirit that didn't want harm to befall anyone…"

Daisuke looked at her and said, "That's a grave mistake you made, and the kid, and the 'royal family', paid for it… You assumed that just because I use Medical jutsu that I wish well on others, but like I said… it's a mistake that will leave you six-feet under…"

He pulled out a kunai and twirled it around before setting it to strike. As he was about to drive it into Kazuki's chest, Yuzuki cried out, "Let him go! Let him go! I… I'll be your opponent!"

Daisuke stopped and raised his eyebrow in amuzement. Clearly intrigued, he didn't go through with his plan. Instead, he flung Kazuki's frame into a tree and smirked at Yuzuki.

_Takumi vs Kouki & Ryou _

Ryou was still out of commission. It was now all up to Kouki to fend off this threat. Even though he seemed a bit slower, Takumi wouldn't allow it to get to him. He charged, poised to attack with sparks of electricity jumping from his hand. As he neared, wood sprang from the ground and began attacking him. He easily destroyed the wood and jumped back to safety. He showed no expressions as Yamato landed next to Kouki…

_Izumi vs Chinatsu _

Hinata and Sakura arrived just as Chinatsu's attempt to end the fight failed. They informed her that they were there to lend their support…

Upset that she was being belittled and dismissed by someone she once thought to be a "friendly-rival", someone that she still considered her rival, Chinatsu told the Leaf kunoichi, "I don't need your help with this… I don't want your help. This is a fight between rivals. This is my fight, so leave it to me!"

The two seemed to understand how she felt. They wished her luck and left to lend their aid to someone who wanted it…

_Ayaka vs Ayumu _

Ayumu finished her seals as Ayaka shut her eyes and ducked behind a tree. Her eyes began glowing red as did a second pair on her forehead.

"Aw… Don't hide from me now… Come back out and get a good look at me… It'll make you feel better," Ayumu said.

She began approaching. Ayaka felt she had to do something fast. She would have to somehow fight without out looking at her opponent, but that would be difficult.

After cycling through seals, she activated her jutsu, "Living Forest Manipulation…"

Ayumu stopped in her tracks as she noticed something coming for her. It wrapped around her body, scratching her as it did. It lifted her off the ground and prepared to attack even more. Ayumu kicked out her feet. The force from the attacking branch forced her free from the brittle one that once held her. She retreated back to a safe distance.

Watching the branches wildly swinging and trying to grab anything near, Ayumu realized, "You're grabbing at air because you don't know where I am… You won't even _risk_ looking at me, will you…? Do I frighten you that much…?" she snidely remarked.

The tree Ayaka was manipulating came to a halt. Still with her eyes closed, she responded, "I've seen you use your jutsu before. I know better than to let myself get caught in your eye technique…"

Ayumu quietly approached once again saying, "Oh… Is that _**so**_?"

She jumped to try to catch her former fellow Guardsmen, but there was no one behind the tree. With her four eyes, she looked about for where Ayaka could have gone. She heard a rustling in the nearby bushes. She shifted her full gaze to them as something jumped out…

"There you are!" Kiba said as he and Akamaru appeared.

"We were searching for you and the others," Sai added.

The two noticed that Ayaka had her kunai up, ready to defend herself with her eyes closed tightly. As they questioned this, and she recognized their voices, she opened her eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

"We've come to help you kick those traitors' asses!" Kiba stated.

"That's good and all, and I really appreciate it, but… this one may be out of your league," she told them.

Once again they questioned her and she informed them that whatever they do, they shouldn't look into Ayumu's eyes. They peeked from behind their hiding place to see Ayumu's back as she stood over a deer. It convulsed as it began foaming at the mouth but suddenly stopped breathing altogether.

_Hiroto vs Shin _

Shin had a look on his face that could only be described as sickly pleased. He shoved his other claw into Hiroto's body and began cackling as if he had gone mad. He flashed a big toothy smile as he slowly began carving into Hiroto's flesh. Hiroto tried to stop him but felt weak as his insides were being shredded. Anymore and it would undoubtedly be the end of him.

Shin smiled even greater as he could actually feel Hiroto's life slowly slipping away. He was savoring it.

"Huh? _What's that?"_ Shin wondered.

A small swarm of bugs quickly became a big one as they engulfed Shin, attacking him. Now Shin could feel his energy being sapped away. He jerked his claws from Hiroto's body and ran off, leaving the chasing swarm in his dust. Having momentarily lost it, Shin looked up to see both Neji and Shino standing in a tree.

Not amused, he cursed, "Fuck…!"


	13. Coldblooded and Hotheaded

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**

* * *

  
**

**Cold-blooded and Hot-tempered**

"Huh? _What's that?"_ Shin wondered.

A small swarm of bugs quickly became a big one as they engulfed Shin, attacking him. Now Shin could feel his energy being sapped away. He jerked his claws from Hiroto's body and ran off, leaving the chasing swarm in his dust. Having momentarily lost it, Shin looked up to see both Neji and Shino standing in a tree.

He was _**not**_ amused. "Fuck…! More _'pains in the ass'_ have arrived…"

Hiroto collapsed to a knee as blood rained from his wounds. Since there was sure to be interference, Shin decided to dispose of Hiroto. He prepared to attack but thought again as another swarm of bugs got between them. Next, Neji and Shino jumped out front as well.

Seeing a smirk on Shin's face, Shino said, "Things won't be as easy as you think… You should never underestimate your opponent, no matter who they may be."

Before they fought, Hiroto took it upon himself to warn them of Shin's ability. His speed would make things difficult for even the most skilled fighter. What's worse was that if there wasn't any good defensive techniques between either to protect them, then they wouldn't stand a chance.

"If that's the case then maybe we should take this guy down together," Neji suggested.

Shino would go along with it. He figured it wouldn't be too difficult to fight along side Neji since Hinata tended to use similar fighting styles derived from the Hyuuga clan as well, but it would still be a different case. They would just have to wait and see if they could properly work together against this common foe.

Neji charged as Shino hung back. He attempted to connect with a simple palm thrust using his "Gentle fist". Cocky, Shin avoided taking the full brunt of the attack but was still glanced by it.

Neji revealed to him, "My 'Gentle fist' is a technique that targets the chakra pathway. Even the slightest glance could cause significant damage to both your chakra system and your organs."

After warning, possibly even threatening, the opponent, Neji activated his Byakugan. This was a sign that things would become a lot more serious now. Shin made a few hand-seals as Neji charged again. Both moved at great speeds as Neji tried to land at least one good hit. This time he couldn't even seem to glance Shin even slightly. He was backed into a tree and was shocked to be cornered.

Neji thrusted forward saying, "Eight Trigrams: Sky Palm!"

Shin slipped out of the way and spun around to see Neji uproot the tree by blowing it away. He then spun and ran away as it came crashing down. He continued straight as he caught sight of Shino who was slow to react. He readied his claws and tore into him…

Something was off about this however. He felt something slosh onto his hand and wrote it off as blood. That is, until he felt it creeping its way up his arm. He got a good look as the Shino he had just carved into turned into creepy, crawly bugs that were now crawling onto him. As they exploded out into a swarm that even freaked Shin out, he bolted as far away from them as he could in a short time.

He stopped to catch his breath and regain his composure. As he did, he was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Neji…

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-four Palms!!"

Neji moved a lot faster than before. Shin was surprised, but when it was all said and done, he still managed to avoid having his chakra system shut down. He retreated once again as Shino and his bugs showed up. He stopped once again as he figured that he was a safe distance away. His breathing was labored as he had been pushed far more than he liked. He stared at them from where he stood, keeping an eye on any sudden movement either might make.

He began cycling through seals, wanting to end things with his next technique. He then heard leaves rustling in the tree above. Just then, he saw a mountain-sized boulder raining down on him.

Once again, his ability saved him by an inch. He stopped and turned to see Hiroto standing in the crater that he would have been laying. He was about to finish what he started with him but saw another swarm of bugs coming for him. He then turned to run in the opposite direction. He saw that Neji was now alone. He would take care of him, then find a way to get Hiroto, and finally the _"bug-freak"_. Shin rushed to take out Neji. As he did, he saw another swarm of bugs and tried to stop but slid right into it. He quickly exploded from them before they could _"eat him alive"_.

He continued running, trying to get away from the swarm as fast as he could. He was moving so fast that his vision was blurred. To keep from running into something, he stopped for a moment to take in his surroundings. Seeing no one around, he took a moment to catch his breath. As he did, he noticed Neji appearing in the distance…

"_Damn it! I was found already… I'm tired of all of this. I have to eliminate these guys __**now**__ so that they stop hassling me already!"_

Shin set his sights on Neji and cycled through some seals, the same he had against Hiroto. Through his Byakugan, Neji could see Shin's chakra flow increase greatly. His body then began to vibrate. Shin held out his claws and stood as if he was about to start a race. He didn't like using this jutsu too much because of how his vision degraded, but if his target was straightahead it wouldn't be a problem. He could get to them in an instant…

Neji took his stance. This made Shin smile because he knew that Neji had no idea what was in store for him. With a small gust of wind, Shin took off. Like he figured, his vision was obscured because of how fast he was traveling, but he felt satisfied as his claws made contact.

"Rotation!"

Shin's vision had been obscured and he had felt that he had connected with something, but then all he saw was blue. With near perfect timing, and a lot of luck, Neji activated his "Rotation" and Shin collided hard with it.

As Shin was roughly repelled, blood trailed from his mouth. He crashed to the ground in disbelief, hardly able to move. His claws had been broken from the impact as well as both his wrists. Through the pain, he managed to raise a little off the ground to look at Neji.

"Shi-… shit! You… bastard! I'll kill you!"

"That's enough," Shino said. "It's over."

Shin looked at him and said, "Like hell it is…! I'll kill you bastards no matter what!"

"If that's the case, then perhaps it's best to keep that from happening..."

Shino stood over him with his arms out. From his sleeves came a great number of bugs. As they swarmed, Shin's screams carried through the forest…

_Chinatsu vs Izumi _

After Sakura and Hinata left, Izumi said, "You know… that wasn't very smart… Against me, you'll need all the help you can get…"

"I don't need any help to deal with the likes of _you_!" Chinatsu said with an intense look in her eyes.

Izumi scoffed, "Is that so…? It figures that someone like _you_ would be so stupid about the situation you're in…"

"Just what are you getting at?!" Chinatsu angrily questioned.

"See what I'm saying…? Women like you aren't good for anything other than your bodies… You might've thought that that would get you far… but in the end… I was the one chosen by _**him**_," Izumi spat with venom in her words.

"Like I give a damn!! _**You**_ and _**that bastard**_ can both go and die, as far as I'm concerned! As a matter of fact… Why don't I help you do just that!" After taking in a deep breath, Chinatsu released a big fireball. "Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!!"

The giant fireball made its way towards Izumi, burning up everything in its path. As it crashed into the tree Izumi stood in, it was incinerated.

Once again, Izumi managed to get away unharmed. She mocked, "My, my… I didn't expect you to get so mad so easily… but I guess it figures that someone so _stupid_ can't do anything but fight…"

Chinatsu growled, "_**Fire Storm**_!!"

She created multiple fireballs and sent them at Izumi. This time the pressure was on. Izumi bounced about, trying her best to avoid being burned. In one moment when it seemed that Chinatsu was slowing down, Izumi launched an attack of her own in one opening…

"_**Stinging Rain!" **_

Izumi spit a stream of water into the air. It spread over the field and rained down on Chinatsu.

She quickly stopped her attack and countered, "Whirling Burn!"

Chinatsu spewed flames from her mouth as she spun in place. The flames surrounded her body and protected her from Izumi's attack. As her spin ended, Izumi was right in front of her. She was lunging at her with kunai in hand. Just barely, Chinatsu managed to keep from being stabbed, but didn't escape unscathed. It had torn into her clothes and her flesh as well.

Izumi took the kunai with Chinatsu's blood dripping from it and, taunting her, licked the blood from it. She proudly curled the corner of her mouth upward. It was starting to annoy Chinatsu that she was acting like she had already won… that they were never rivals in everything they did…

"It really pisses me off how so _full of yourself_ you are! You're acting like I'm nothing… like we were never rivals… like we weren't even friends!"

Izumi responded, "That's because we never were… You may have enjoyed the so-called _'competitions' _between us, but I didn't… I didn't like you…! I couldn't even stand you, especially since you always seemed to do just a bit better than me in everything! That really pissed me off! That is… until I realized that none of that really mattered because I had won… All the things that we did was just a way of getting a certain person's attention… and _I_ was the one that got it. I was the one chosen by _**him**_… I was the one that he wanted by his side, and all he wanted from you was your death…!"

_**xxxxxxxxxx**_

"Captain… are you ok?" one of Kohaku's soldiers asked out of concern.

She looked to be uncomfortable and in bad shape, but she answered, "I'm fine… There's no need to worry about me… What's important is that we aid our fellow warriors in this battle as much as we can…"

"Yes, Captain!" the soldiers replied in unison.

Kohaku then went on to say, "It seems that they have all split up… I want some of you to find them and aid them if you can… All I need is for a few of you to stay with me… just in case…"

They did as she commanded and a great deal of them left to find the fighting ninjas. Kohaku and the rest went on their way as well…

_Takumi vs Kouki, Ryou, & Yamato _

Ryou was still on the ground. He could hardly move, but he still tried to remove the bits of tree in his back. For the moment, it would be up to Kouki and Yamato to defeat this guy.

Once again, Takumi was back to his nonexpressive self. As his enemies conspired on ways to defeat him, he just held his hands, surging with electricity, out in front as if he was beckoning them to challenge him.

They would do just that. Kouki would start it off. He charged right for Takumi, who began cycling through hand-seals. Once done, he spit out a small wave of water…

"Water Style: Water Wall," he said as the water stopped Kouki in his tracks and forced him back a little.

"Look out!" Yamato shouted.

Through the water bursted Takumi. Yamato acted quickly and created a wall of wood to protect Kouki. Takumi suddenly stopped and placed his hand to the ground. As he placed his hand into the puddle of water, the current of electricity streaming from his hands found its way to Kouki.

For a brief moment, Kouki was being electrocuted, but he managed to get away. Takumi easily tore through Yamato's wall and went right for Kouki. He avoided a knife-like thrust from Takumi's hand and ducked as he brought it back. Takumi kicked low and Kouki jumped back. Here, Takumi planted his boot into Kouki's chest and sent him flying back.

Yamato decided to take over. He had wood explod from the ground all over in an attempt to properly restrain Takumi. Try as he may, Yamato's attempts failed. Anytime he had him, Takumi would either break through the wood or simply explode from it using electricity.

Takumi rushed at Yamato. The electricity jumped from tip to tip of his fingers as he closed in. He thrusted his hand at Yamato…

"Watch it!" Kouki yelled as he jumped in the way.

Takumi didn't stop. He connected with Kouki's chest and jolted him back into Yamato's arms.

_Daisuke vs Yuzuki _

Yuzuki whirled her weapon about with a serious expression on her face. She continued to as she looked to Kazuki who was watching as well.

"You wield that weapon of yours very well," Daisuke complimented. "The question is… can you kill me with it?"

Yuzuki stopped to say, "Let's find out!"

She charged with her weapon extended back behind her. As she reached him, she jumped to deliver a flying kick. Daisuke ducked it and quickly rolled off to the side to avoid being split by Yuzuki's dragging weapon. She then picked it up and spun twice before swinging it at his neck. He ducked again and attacked while remaining low. Yuzuki used the momentum she gathered and landed a back-kick to his face. He fell back on his butt and Yuzuki raised her weapon to swing on him. Daisuke rolled to the side and grabbed a hold of Yuzuki's weapon. With one yank, he pulled her to him. With both feet, he kicked her in her face. She was knocked back but didn't release her grip on her weapon. As she fell back and jerked her weapon along with her, it cut Daisuke's hand.

Daisuke stood to his feet. While looking at his bleeding hand, he clicked his tongue a few times before saying, "Would you look at that… I've been wounded…"

He raised it to where Yuzuki could see. He then proceeded to heal it in front of her. Next, he said, "There's nohing you can do to me that I can't heal… It's my specialty after all… That is… unless you kill me…"

"I'll put you out of your misery soon enough!"

"Can you, Yuzuki? Can you?"

"Of course I can! I'll make you regret everything you've done!"

"_Really_? I don't think you can… You know why…? Because we had something special for a while there… There's still something between us, I can see it in your eyes," Daisuke gloated.

"No… That was all a lie… What we had never truly existed, and, so… it doesn't exist now! I'll kill you here and now for the pain you've caused to those I care for!"

Daisuke smirked and smoothly said, "You may say that, but I'm sure you mean that you want to kill me because _you _were the one that I hurt most… I know _I_ feel a little bad about the way I just turned my back on you… Of all the women I had wrapped around my finger, you left the best impression. I would love it if you actually joined my side so that we could do this together… There'd be no one that could oppose us…"

Yuzuki didn't know what to say or do. All she could do was wish that things didn't have to be this way…

_Izumi vs Chinatsu _

Chinatsu chuckled, "And you called _me _the idiot… You were blinded by that _**bastard's **_charm just like me… The difference isn't that he chose you over me, it's that you're actually going along with it… You're allowing him to manipulate you to his will. I may not be the _'brightest bulb'_ and tend to use my looks on occasion, but even I can tell when someone is trying to use me…"

Izumi angrily exploded, "What the hell do you know, you dumb bimbo…!!? I'll show you exactly why he chose me to be with him and not you…!!"

Izumi cycled through seals and began flooding the ground with water from her mouth. It then began reforming over her head and upraised hands in a big globe. Chinatsu recognized this jutsu and quickly acted. In a similar fashion, she cycled through seals and raised her hands into the air as fire erupted from her mouth and collected over her head in a large sphere. Both were infuriated now to the point that…

"This is where our _'rivalry' _ends… with your death!" Izumi stated.

Chinatsu replied, "I never thought it would come to this… but since it has… so be it!"

Though they said these things, both could recall times when they got along. Even when they weren't necessarily on the same page and they fought and called each other names, there was something nice about the time they spent together.

"WATER WORLD: AQUATIC PARADISE!!" Izumi screamed as she hurled her attack as Chinatsu did the same. "BURNING ORB: A THOUSAND SUMMERS!!"

Both attacks collided and created a smokescreen, but one would outlast the other…

* * *

**End of chapter: **

The "12 Ninja Guardsmen" of the Land of Honey's Feudal Lord is dissolved…

As they fight it out who will remain?

Next chapter: Bewitching…


	14. Bewitching Eyes

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap:**

Taking a mission to rescue a kidnapped princess, Naruto and his comrades get to the bottom of things. They meet with and solicit the help of the land's "Ninja Guardians" as they investigate this crime. They discover who is responsible and attempt to thwart their efforts. With conflicting interests, the "12 Ninja Guardsmen" of the Land of Honey's Feudal Lord has been dissolved. As some fight for power and land, others fight to maintain the peace and wellbeing of those they care for.

* * *

**Bewitching Eyes**

Kohaku and her soldiers were now engaged in a small battle of their own. The little area that they clashed was quickly being littered with bodies from both sides. Injured as she was, Kohaku wouldn't let it hinder her. She set her sights on her target. She had only one thing in mind…

"Hiraku, uncle, YOU BASTARD…!! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!!

_Yuzuki vs. Daisuke _

"I'll make you regret this!!" Yuzuki yelled.

As she came at him, Daisuke simply smirked and said, "I'd love to see you try…"

Yuzuki got to him and swung hard and fast. She missed taking his head off as he ducked under the attack. Using her momentum, Yuzuki spun into a back kick. Daisuke blocked it and stumbled backward. Yuzuki kept it up as she brought her weapon down on him. She barely missed thanks to a slight back jump in Daisuke's step, but she wouldn't let that stop her. With no wasted motion, and using her lodged weapon to increase her force, she shifted into a swift flying kick…

It wasn't swift enough, however, as Daisuke slipped by the attack. Before she could even land on the ground, Daisuke grabbed her by her neck, swung her around, and slammed her to the ground.

As he proudly stood over her, he claimed, "Look at this…! I've got the witch Yuzuki at my feet." He then proceeded to kick her, "**This**… could have been avoided **if**… _**you**_… would've just **agreed**… to join me when _**I**_ offered…! _**This **_is what happens **when**… **stupid** people… make _**stupid**_ _**decisions**_…!"

_Ayumu vs. _

As Ayumu turned to continue her search, Kiba and Sai ducked back before she could see them. Once again they questioned what was going on.

Ayaka replied, "If you meet the gaze of Ayumu while she's using that technique… it'll be the last time you ever do. You'll be trapped in her genjutsu and be unable to do anything…"

"A genjutsu…?" Kiba said dumbfounded. "That's no big deal with our numbers."

"You say that because you don't understand… If you happen to look into those eyes of hers even slightly, it won't be long before her genjutsu takes effect. Your entire body will quickly seize up, and, from what I've witnessed… so do your organs. If they should ever stop working, then…"

Kiba and Sai looked as if they understood. "If that's the case, then what do we do?" Kiba questioned.

"Well…" Sai began. "As long as we don't look into her eyes there should be a way…"

He seemed to have come up with something. Kiba and Ayaka were interested in hearing what it was…

_Yuzuki vs. Daisuke _

Daisuke was still kicking his downed opponent across the ground. He then stopped kicking Yuzuki to pretentiously say, "Now… I'm sure that you regret going against me… For this, I'm willing to give you another chance to rule at my side." He then corrected himself, "Well… not so much at my side as under me." With a smile on his face as he looked down on her, he asked, "So… what do you say?"

There was no reply from her. All he got was a stare from her cold, blue, bewitching eyes. This prompted more kicking from Daisuke. Having had enough, Yuzuki put a sudden stop to this as she caught one of Daisuke's feet.

After spitting a speckle of blood, Yuzuki responded, "Like hell I would join someone that hurt the people closest to me…"

She shoved him away. Another smile appeared on Daisuke's face as Yuzuki stood to her feet. He had to admit it, he didn't like being opposed, but he liked how interesting and exciting this was.

_Takumi vs. _

Yamato now had his hands full and couldn't do anything to stop the charging Takumi. All of a sudden, he motioned to stop. Yamato soon found why.

"Water Wall!!"

A wall of water exploded into the air. Takumi stopped short, but, from above, Ryou attacked with Takumi's trident. Takumi avoided being skewered by his own weapon by stopping in his tracks. He didn't even give Ryou another chance to attack as he kicked him aside. He then refocused on Yamato and a now alert Kouki. Reunited with his trident, Takumi began advancing on them…

"Water Prison!" Ryou said, showing that he wasn't done.

The water at Takumi's feet came alive and engulfed him in a small orb. He struggled but couldn't get free. Things seemed to now be in their favor…

"Even if you can use water-style techniques, you won't be able to free yourself from my 'Water Prison'."

They watched on as Takumi floated within the bubble. If he just drowned, that would make things simple… but when are things ever that simple. Showing no signs of worry, Takumi raised his trident and the water began to part.

At this point, the common allies thought, _"What else can this guy do?"_

_Ayumu vs. _

Ayumu was still searching for her former ally. All she would come across was animals. Not intentionally, but also not caring, she would steal their life in her hunt for Ayaka. She then heard rustles in the bush that sounded like someone running away and followed. When it stopped, she thought she caught up but found no one.

Suddenly, she noticed something coming at her. She quickly turned to meet it with her fearsome gaze. She managed to do just that before it was too late for her… but it wouldn't stop. It slashed her across her abdomen. Before long, she was surrounded.

"What's going on? Why isn't my jutsu working? What are these things?!"

"It seems like this may work," Ayaka said.

"It was a good plan, Sai," Kiba complimented.

"I figured that it was worth a try to see if her technique worked on everything or if it only worked on things with actual life. It seems that it was a good thing." He drew on a scroll, "Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll…"

More lion-like beasts were created. They then went on to join their fellow creations. They encircled Ayumu. Since her eye technique was ineffective against these growling beasts, Ayumu would just have to do it some other way. She readied her kunai as they were poised to pounce.

They attacked the first chance they got. Ink and blood was spattered all over the area as Ayumu fought as best she could. When it was over…

"Ahhhhh! My eyes…!!" she screamed.

Ayumu had successfully defended herself but was now blinded… temporarily. Though the beasts Sai summoned managed to do some harm to her, the best they could manage was luckily splattering their ink onto and into Ayumu's eyes. If ever, now was the time to attack.

"Let's go Akamaru…! Fang Over Fang!!"

Kiba and Akamaru launched their combined attack. The unsuspecting Ayumu was blasted back into a tree. As she just lay their, not making a single movement, Sakura and Hinata arrived. They were too late to get involved in this fight but were relieved that no one was hurt. Or so they thought…

Ayumu let out a rough cough as she regained consciousness. Not wasting anytime, she weakly began cycling through hand-seals.

"What is she up to now?" Kiba questioned.

"I have no idea," Ayaka responded. "But it can't be anything good for us."

Her seals completed, Ayumu proceeded to remove her clothes…

"Wh-why is she doing that?!" Kiba was questioning with a blush on his face.

He wasn't the only one questioning this action with a blush on his face. The only one present that wasn't blushing was Sai who instead seemed confused by the others' reactions.

As Ayumu stood before her enemies in the buff, her skin began changing. Things began appearing on it that resembled…

"Those… couldn't be…!" Sakura was in disbelief.

"Oh no…! Everyone take cover!!" Ayaka shouted. "And don't look at her!!"

Everyone went into hiding. As they did, a few of Kohaku's soldiers appeared on the scene.

"What _is_ that?" one of them questioned.

"No!! Don't look…!!" Ayaka warned.

Unfortunately, she was too late. Ayumu was revealed in all her glory as the things all over her body opened up with a flash of red. Ayaka and the Leaf shinobi could do nothing but watch as all the soldiers literally turned to stone.

"Wha- what the hell…!?" Kiba said with a bit of panic in his voice.

"It's the fate of you all," Ayumu stated. "You'll all be petrified in stone for all eternity once I set my gaze on you," she sneered.

She was a scary sight to behold. All over her body were red eyes that could turn any unfortunate soul to stone. What was even scarier was that she was now coming their way. As she made it to where she _thought_ her latest victims were, Ayumu became infuriated. Once again, she was given the slip. Furious, she pushed over and smashed the stone soldiers to pieces.

Safe for the moment, the Leaf and Ayaka took the time to collect themselves and try to come up with a good plan or so. It would help if they had some intel on the technique they would be up against. Before, they only had to worry about looking into her eyes, but how could they avoid that if her eyes were everywhere on her body?

Ayumu was still searching for her opponents. With her technique, it was a lot easier to keep an eye out for them. She wasn't even taken by surprise when a ferocious bunch of dangerous drawings approached her. No sweat and no stress, Ayumu didn't budge an inch as 20 or so attacked.

The team was bewildered as every one was turned to stone… Even the bird attacking from above was petrified as an eye opened on the top of Ayumu's head.

"What!? Her jutsu works on things that aren't living too…!?" Kiba was confused. "But before…!"

"Then she's more fearsome than I thought," Ayaka stated. "For now, let's investigate the area where she first activated this scary jutsu… Hopefully we'll be able to figure out how it works…"

They snuck back as Ayumu smashed through the statuesque beasts, but…

"I see yo~u…"

They returned to find something even more baffling and horrendous than what they had just witnessed. The soldiers had been smashed to pieces and everything including trees, bushes, and flowers had been turned to stone. It was inconceivable.

"How the hell are we supposed to fight and win against someone like that!? We can't even get close to her unless we want to become statues," Kiba pointed out.

"If we could somehow attack from a distance… but she'll probably just see it coming no matter where it's from," Ayaka pondered.

"Someone could always act as a decoy. They'd be sacrificed but maybe the enemy would focus on them enough that she doesn't notice another attack," Sai suggested after finally catching his breath.

"Are you crazy!?" Kiba opposed. "No one here is going to give up their life just so that we can win! It'd be a pointless, hollow victory!"

"Then, what do we do?" Hinata asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

"You can all die!" they heard a voice say from a distance. It was Ayumu, and she continued, "You can all let me turn you to stone and your part will be done. You won't have to worry about another thing after that. You don't even have to worry about it being painful because it's not… at least maybe until I start slowly chipping away at you…"

Without looking at her, everyone scattered, but…

"Not so fast…Ayaka…!"

Ayaka was ducking behind a tree when she suddenly felt her legs seize up on her. She turned to see that they had been turned to stone.

"How is this possible?"

"I'm able to turn anything I set my sights on to stone… if I choose to," Ayumu explained.

Still partially hidden, Ayaka continued speaking, "So, how does it work exactly?" While she asked this, she tried to figure a way to save herself.

Ayumu responded, "Like I'd tell you and your little friends that are probably listening in."

Ayaka cycled through seals as Ayumu approached, _"Living Forest Manipulation…"_

She tried to control the trees and use them to her benefit once again… but it wasn't working. The strain of trying to utilize her jutsu was making her head hurt and blood drip from her nose. It just wasn't working, and soon, neither would she.

As Ayumu rounded the tree to get a good look at Ayaka, she saw an arrow coming at her. She evaded it but was forced again and again to keep moving. From a distance, Hinata was providing cover and forcing Ayumu back.

She pressed a button on her H.A.L.O. to communicate with the others, "I managed to get her away from Ayaka, but she can't move on her own," she informed them.

"I'm on it," Sai said as he swooped in on a bird and scooped up Ayaka.

As they flew away, they were seen by Ayumu, "Damn it…! Don't think that you can just run away!"

She gave chase, slowly catching up to them. "I'm almost in range!" she shouted as she got closer.

She was suddenly stopped by an unusual earthquake. From what she could see, Sakura had punched the ground and caused it to shake. Even after she stopped, Ayumu noticed that the ground was still rumbling. A pair of hands grabbed her by the ankles and pulled her down. She was now knee-deep in the ground and was struggling in getting free. She could see Sakura in the distance twirling around before releasing something her way.

She struggled and struggled as she tried to get free. Unless she could, she would be split by the giant axe coming her way. She managed to pull up her legs and leap over the axe at the last second. As she lingered in the air, she was overwhelmed with several arrows. Ayumu shrieked as many of those fired by Hinata managed to take out many of the eyes on her body. Even so, she had managed to provide herself with cover. Before any critical points could be hit, she caused a wall of earth to spring up.

"I can no longer get a clear shot," Hinata informed.

Seeing that Ayumu was now going after Sakura, Kiba, and Akamaru, Ayaka made a decision.

"Set me down over there by that tree…"

"What are you going to do?" Sai asked.

"I'm going to see to it that this ends," she said. After being set down, she called to Ayumu, "Let's you and me end this!"

A little skeptical, Ayumu gave in to her urge to kill anyone for the time being. She approached with a smirk on her face as she recognized Ayaka's seals. Once again, she struggled to manipulate the surrounding trees. Blood trickled from her nose as she tried as hard as she could. The smile on Ayumu's face grew larger as she came closer and blood began dripping from Ayaka's shut eyes.

"Now… turn to stone!"

"I don't mind, as long as I give these seedlings a chance… to bloom…!"

Blood poured from her nostrils, eyes, and ears as she managed to get one of the petrified trees to come to life. It wrapped its branches around Ayumu, ultimately restraining her.

No matter how hard she kicked and screamed, she couldn't get free. This provided a clear chance for…

"Target in sight," Hinata said as she let an arrow fly.

Ayumu could do nothing but watch it fly right at her and… pierce her between her original eyes. Her head drooped and her jutsu came to a halt. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one. Blood puddled on the ground as it poured from Ayaka's skull.

Sakura laid her down and checked her pulse. She said nothing but shook her head.

* * *

**End of chapter… **

Ayumu is defeated at the cost of a "Guardian's" life…

As many of the conflicts come to an end, and the "Guardians" drop like flies, can Naruto and his comrades avoid the same fate?

Next chapter: Three-pronged attack…


	15. 3Pronged Attack!

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap: **

Leaf shinobi, Team Yamato and Team Kurenai led by Neji, take on a mission of simple kidnapping. It turned out to not be as simple as it seemed. Finding the identity of those responsible caused a great rift and divided the former unit of the Land of Honey's Feudal Lord's "12 Ninja Guardsmen". As things break down into an all out brawl, how will it conclude?

* * *

**Three-Pronged Attack**

_Yuzuki vs. Daisuke _

Yuzuki was still at it. She twirled her weapon about with great skill as she tried to cut Daisuke to ribbons. Throughout the fight, she had managed to leave a few shallow cuts, but he would just heal them and mock her. It was getting old, fast.

"I guess that I'll just have to make it where you can no longer heal yourself then!"

_Takumi vs. _

Kouki had just taken a hard blow from Takumi. As he rolled back to his feet, he said, "Both you and I know that the use of the 'Lightning' element won't go far with either of us… so why are you still using it against me when I can just counter it with my own?"

Takumi answered, "I was aiming for your heart. If I hit that with a strong enough electrical current, then I should be able to stop it completely…"

_Kohaku… _

It was a fairly even battle between Kohaku's group and her traitorous uncle's, Hiraku. As the two charged for the other, despite Kohaku's injuries, they each slashed, pierced, and cut down any enemy soldier in their way. They had made it close enough to have their final clash…

_Yuzuki vs. Daisuke _

Yuzuki wasn't getting anywhere with her attempts. It was like she would take one step forward but be forced to take two steps back. She set down her weapon and began cycling through hand-seals. As she finished, there was an unusual amount of silence before it was interrupted by her sudden burst of chakra.

"Three Faces of the Moon Goddess…!"

Daisuke was intrigued but couldn't believe his eyes at what he saw before his eyes…

_Takumi vs. _

Yamato, Kouki, and Ryou had been on the worst end of the fight and were now regrouping. As they tried to rest and catch their breaths, they heard nothing from their surroundings.

"_He's completely disappeared… I can't sense him_," Yamato quietly mentioned.

They would have to come up with something quick before he attacked. They kept a careful eye out for him as he lurked about. If they hoped to beat this guy, they couldn't just sit about.

Just as they were about to move out, Takumi made a sudden appearance. Without a single sound or hesitation, he impaled Kouki from behind using his trident.

"KOUKI!!" Ryou yelled just before he received the same fate.

As strange wood began springing from the ground, Takumi reached for Yamato with the intention of shocking him to death. He stopped short as he realized that something was odd. Instead of using the wood as interference or a blockade, it was closing them in together.

Before being shut in completely by the wooden structure, Takumi was surprised to see that the enemies he had impaled were actually…

"Water Clones…?"

They all sloshed and puddled around his feet. Surrounded by darkness and wet around his ankles, Takumi didn't understand the purpose of this. He certainly didn't understand why there was an opening at the top of the wooden structure.

He was then informed by Yamato, "Here's _**our**__ 'three-pronged'_ attack!"

Ryou cycled through hand-seals and water began pouring in from the opening. Takumi then heard creaking and breaking in the wooden structure. He wasn't sure, but he had a hunch as to what his enemies were currently up to. As he floated upward, he quickly took his trident and tried to swim to the bottom to drive it into the ground…

"Lightning Style: Electric Field Entrapment: Thunderdome!"

Ryou stopped his water just in time to avoid being caught in Kouki's attack. The water inside the electrified dome began violently bubbling and boiling to the point that steam and burned flesh filled the air…

The enemy's forces were dwindling down to nothing. Although they might not have realized this at the moment, Daisuke and Hiraku, and his troops, were the only ones remaining. They kept up their fight, some having more difficulties than others…

Kohaku fought valiantly, ignoring the pain from her injuries. As they continued, Kohaku asked, "Why, uncle…?! Why have you done this?! Why have things come to this?!!"

Catching his breath, Hiraku managed to say, "I didn't want it to have to come to this, but now that you and your family knows too much… You all…"

"Must die…!" Daisuke finished as he looked all three versions of Yuzuki in their eyes, young, between 18 and 30, current, between 30 and 50, and older.

Not intimidated by his words, they all moved in to attack. At first, Daisuke figured that it was some illusion. He did his best to avoid them all, but as they increased the intensity of their attacks, it all seemed too real when he gained cuts all over from them all.

As he healed his wounds, he questioned, "What kind of magic is this? There's no way that this is real!"

He concentrated and tried to break the genjutsu. "Trust us, it's no _**genjutsu**_!" the two younger versions said as they drove their crescent-shaped blades into him and batted him into a few trees.

Blood flew from his body as he crashed. To put the final nail in the coffin, the older version hurled edged tools with explosives attached to them. They went off and the smell burning flesh filled the air.

Knowing Daisuke's abilities personally, each version of Yuzuki wasn't surprised when he emerged from the smoldering ashes. His body had indeed been terribly burned by the explosion, but…

"Ha ha ha ha ha…! Nice try, but it's all useless!" Daisuke laughed.

Before their eyes, he shed his darkened, burned skin to reveal that he still hadn't been effectively harmed. A wicked smile crossed his face as he jumped from the ashes and charged the Yuzukis…

_Kohaku… _

Kohaku and her troops definitely had their hands full. She was most of all. With her wound slowing her down, her uncle exploited this to his advantage.

Taking minor damage, he managed to slip in close enough to disarm her and knock her to the ground. Proud of himself, he gloated, "After I finish you, I'll do the same with my brother!"

He swung down on her…

"STARBURST!!"

Hiraku was startled by this sudden outburst. His fear overtook him as his soldiers were dispatched before his eyes by an unusual blur. Once it stopped, after disabling the soldiers, he could get a good look at it. Naruto was now standing over the fallen soldiers. As his gaze shifted towards Hiraku, he began to panic. To avoid the same fate, he figured that he would make a hostage out of Kohaku…

He reached for her but unknowingly impaled himself with Kohaku's spear. The exclamation was added as she roughly thrusted it further through his body…

"You…"

"I'm afraid, uncle… that it is _**you**_ that must die!"

Hiraku shivered slightly before falling limp to the ground. Kohaku looked upset at what she had done. Not wanting to leave her this way, Naruto tried to comfort her.

Daisuke landed a blow on the middle-aged Yuzuki. When she didn't disappear, his thoughts began to churn. He shifted his attention to the older Yuzuki. So far, she had managed to keep her distance from him as she continued to be a thorn in his side. She would cause the greatest deal of damage in one go at any opportune time, even as he charged at her…

He was forced to recover countless times on the path to the elder, but he was instead met with the youthful version. He didn't have time to be surprised as he was hacked by her bladed weapon.

"That was foolish," the elder criticized the younger version. "It's understandable that you want to show off a little, but, against an opponent as tough as this one, you should simply go for the kill. Pierce his heart or lop off his head!"

"Tch! That's no fun," the young one pouted.

"This isn't about fun!" the elder scolded. "This isn't playtime!"

Daisuke fell back to recuperate. His attempt to get the elder failed, but he did manage to get a good hit on the young one. This also kept him from being torn in half from her attack. With the results gathered from his risky trial, his suspicions were confirmed…

"They aren't Shadow Clones…"

"Whoever mentioned Shadow Clones…?" the young Yuzuki snidely remarked.

Daisuke was a bit intrigued, but was also frustrated from how things were going. "Then, what kind of jutsu is it?"

"You won't have the time to know," the elder responded.

Daisuke eyes widened as he finally realized that the other Yuzuki had suddenly appeared behind him. Before he could react, she swung down on him with thoughts of splitting him down the middle.

Just _barely_, he avoided being split in two. The boulder he was perched on however…

"_Damn it…! This is starting to get irritating…!"_

Daisuke huffed as he tried to regain his composure and control over this fight. With three against one, even if he could heal himself, it wouldn't be easy. Eventually, he himself would run out of steam…

"_If it were just the two younger ones, I could probably win with minimal effort, but… with that old hag covering them in the distance it's tough to find a simple way to defeat them all… I may even have to use 'that'…"_

Daisuke decided to take his chances and see how this fight continued to progress. If things continued to go downhill for him, then he would undoubtedly have to use "that".

Without warning, Yuzuki made her move. The young one moved the quickest. With her impressive speed, she reached him first. She swung trying to take Daisuke's legs from him. He jumped into the air, and the middle version made her move. She tried to knock his head from his shoulders, but he managed to maneuver in the air to avoid her attack. He then heard sudden explosions. He looked around to find where they had come from and found a large tree falling over towards him. It crashed into him…

With the ground fast approaching, he jumped off, crashing and rolling across the ground. Before it could crush him, he sprang to the side. There, he found a trap awaiting him.

There was another explosion and sharp ninja weaponry was blasted about the area. Several shuriken and kunai imbedded into his body, but, because of slight reflex, he managed to avoid taking serious damage. He had to retreat so that he could get the chance to recover.

"_That damn elder…!"_

Before he got the chance to regroup, once again, he was pounced upon by the middle Yuzuki. She narrowly missed as she managed to place a deep slash into his leg. Her attack was immediately followed by the faster and younger Yuzuki. She tried for his throat but had to settle with a shallow slash across Daisuke's torso.

He quickly fled to find a safe place to recuperate. As he ran away, he overheard the elder order for his demise.

The pain was too much. He stopped and hid behind a boulder. He felt that he was fading fast, so he tried to do what he could before it was too late…

"_Damn…"_

As he healed his wounds, he now found himself face-to-face with the big mountain of a man, Hiroto. Neji and Shino were close by…

"_**You**_…!! You're the one who's responsible for all of this! You shattered our bonds, and, now, many of our comrades have died for this _**bullshit**_!"

Hiroto was about to smash him into the ground, but he was splashed by a weak trickle of water…

"I won't let you harm my Daisuke!" Izumi said as she fell next to him, clearly exhausted and in severe pain.

Hiroto was shocked at her appearance. She was burnt a great deal over her entire body. By his estimation, she wouldn't have long.

She turned back to Daisuke to say, "I'll protect you until I die, Daisuke… but, if you happen to finish healing yourself, then… it would be nice if you could do the same for me…"

Daisuke didn't reply. He just continued to focus on himself. His attention was abruptly grabbed by a few errant fireballs. Seeing the fire, Izumi went into shock. She began to shake until she fell to the ground, never to get up again.

With a fireball lighting her way, Chinatsu stepped forward to further surround Daisuke…

"_**Bastard**_!! This is all your fault!" she blamed. "Because of you and your manipulating ways, I was forced to kill the one person I thought of as my best friend in the world!"

The fire in her eyes was burning as brightly and hot as ever as she looked at him. A smirk came to his face. He had kept himself from bleeding to death and had taken care of his most serious wounds. Now, all he had to do was get rid of this troublesome bunch…

"How would you like to join her…?" he mocked.

Seeing him begin cycling through hand-seals, they tried to stop him. Two of the Yuzukis, the younger versions, appeared, ready to claim his head. Daisuke shockingly thrusted out his arms and grabbed both by their throats. With a sadistic smile, his skin darkened and chakra engulfed the three.

As Chinatsu and Hiroto surprisingly stopped in their tracks, and her flame died, so did Neji. Shino let his bugs continue on to try and lend aid. To his and Neji's surprise, Shino's swarm of bugs dropped upon coming into contact with Daisuke's unusual chakra.

"It's just like that time," Shino remarked.

Both he and Neji backed away to safety. Neji activated his Byakugan and observed to get a better understanding of what was happening. He informed those around, Shino and the new arrivals including the elder Yuzuki, that familiar chakra signatures could be found in Chinatsu and Hiroto. The chakra surrounding him was being forced into the bodies of the Yuzukis he held…

"It's spreading out into the area…! We have to get back to a safer distance!" he relayed.

From there, they could only watch as Hiroto and Chinatsu grabbed their throats and began coughing up blood. As it worsened, they were reminded of the scene with the captured enemy soldiers. The elder Yuzuki crumbled to her knees as the chakra ceased and the younger versions of her fell to the ground limply.

"What does this mean?" Sakura asked.

The elder explained, "It means that the jutsu I used is no longer accessible… At key points in my life, I stored my chakra when it was at its peak. Using it, I was able to gain access to my former forms and the power and ability I once possessed…"

"It's almost like my master, Lady Tsunade's, jutsu, except a bit more complicated," Sakura concluded.

Some didn't really understand what she meant, but she wouldn't say any more. It wasn't important at the moment. Now, the boisterous laughter coming from Daisuke troubled them…

He continued as he approached them. They kept a careful eye on him to ensure that they weren't suddenly caught in that jutsu as well. If he made the wrong movement, they would be sure to get as far away as possible…

"How did you like that, Yuzu…?" he gloated.

"What was that, you monster?" she weakly returned.

"It was my trump card…! My true power! I expose my enemies to my chakra-infused cells, and, once my jutsu is activated, they're basically poisoned from the inside…! I also expose certain comrades to this jutsu, as a precautionary measure…"

"Then… when you activated that jutsu just now… why wasn't I affected?"

The proud expression on Daisuke's face melted away. He wouldn't answer. Instead, he replied, "Then, why don't I make up for that fact…?"

He was about to run through his seals when he received interference from several sharp weapons soaring his way. He stopped and jumped back. He glowered as Naruto and Kohaku made their sudden and untimely appearance.

As Kohaku climbed off of Naruto's back, she said, "You're nothing but a sick beast that deserves to be put down!"

Daisuke sneered as he said, "Hmm… The only member of that family that wasn't exposed to my jutsu…"

"What did you say?!"

"Oh yea~h… While you were away, I filled that palace full with my cells so that, when the time came, I could execute them all easily. I exposed your parents and most of the 'Guardians' to them while Yuzu led her search party around the woods. I exposed Hiroto to my jutsu as I healed him after his encounter with the Leaf shinobi. And I exposed your little sister to it every time I checked on her…"

What he didn't let her or anyone else know was that there was a certain requirement for his jutsu to take effect. The victim needed to be in close proximity to him to ensure the best results, about 5 to 10 meters.

Kohaku had taken his bait. She was enraged at the horrible picture and possible tragedy Daisuke had painted and was now blindly charging him. He welcomed it as he planned on catching her in his jutsu as well.

"NO! DON'T GET TOO CLOSE!" Neji warned.

As she came within range, he flew through seals. He proudly smirked as he finished uninterrupted this time. Although he executed as he planned, a monkey wrench was thrown into his scheme when Naruto, who suddenly appeared before him, landed a bicycle kick into his face. He fell back, but Naruto wasn't done. As he landed, he shot at the still standing Daisuke and connected with a jawbreaking punch that sent him soaring and then skipping across the ground.

The group stood in awe. No one said a thing until…

"Is everyone alright?" Yamato asked as he, Kouki, and Ryou arrived.

"Naruto…" Hinata softly said.

"Are you ok, Naruto?"

"Yeah, I feel fine," he responded and flexed an arm.

"Was… he exposed?" Kiba asked those who had been watching.

Neji was about to check but had no time as Daisuke exploded back on the scene and charged.

"We'll take care of this!" Kouki and Ryou stated.

As they jumped out front to head Daisuke off, those that knew tried to warn them. They weren't quick enough as Daisuke finished his seals. The two quickly began to breakdown and crumbled to their knees as he approached. His chakra intensified…

"This chakra," Naruto said as Daisuke continued to come.

Daisuke came to Kouki and Ryou and grabbed them by their collars. He kept coming while dragging the two, ensuring that they were further exposed to his jutsu. As he came closer, Naruto and Kohaku, and now Yamato, began to drop to their knees as well.

"Naruto…!" Sakura worried.

Hinata grabbed her bow, pulled an arrow, and released it. It ripped through the air and…

"That _**bastard**_…!! He used him as a shield!!" Kiba exploded.

Daisuke had jerked Ryou into the air and used him to die in his place. Hinata thought of trying again but was worried that it would just happen again.

"What do we do?! Do we just stand here and watch them die!!?" Kiba exclaimed.

Yuzuki spoke up, "I'm afraid that, with an opponent like this, the best method of defeating him is to fight from a distance that he hopefully can't reach… It's the only way, but, if he can continue to protect himself, then even that may be rendered useless--,"

She was surprised by the sudden appearance of potential help that she was not expecting. It was stupid, and she wanted to put a stop to it, but she dare not notify Daisuke of the new threat fast approaching…

Kazuki cycled through seals as quickly as he could. Before reaching him, he finished and grabbed a hold of the unaware Daisuke's arm. He yanked him into a grip-lock and the two squared-off.

Daisuke smirked as he said, "Hehehe… You fool… Didn't you know…? My jutsu is most effective when you're this close…"

Kazuki didn't back down. "But don't you know…? You've seen my jutsu plenty of times, so I'm sure you know exactly how it works…"

"It… it can't possibly work now…"

"My technique takes any jutsu, as long as it isn't taijutsu, and reflects it back at the original caster, giving them a taste of their own medicine. So, right now, you're being dealt the same damage by your very own jutsu." Both began to shake and Kazuki went on to say, "You can feel it, can't you…? You feel weak, and it, and the pain, seems to increase with every passing second…" Blood dribbled from his lips. "I told you… I would see to it that you died for what you did to Yuzu…!"

"_Damn it…! This brat actually turned my own technique against me… If I don't stop it, I may kill myself!"_

Coming to this conclusion, Daisuke's chakra decreased as he deactivated his technique, for the moment. Kazuki weakly collapsed to his knees, but he wouldn't release his grip. To get away from the effects of his jutsu, Daisuke kicked him away from him. He was about to reactivate his jutsu and finish things when he felt a force planted into his back…

"Gentle Fist!"

"Pulsing Wave!!"

Neji had shoved his palm into Daisuke's back, as did Naruto with a single fist and an explosion of his chakra that overtook him. He landed and rolled a short ways after flying over Kazuki. He shook it off, and, to his surprise, got back up as if he was unharmed.

Daisuke smirked as Naruto's attempt failed. He swiftly cycled through seals and when he finished…

"What's going on?!" he questioned.

Naruto informed, "Both Neji and my jutsus are similar. They force chakra into _your _system and cause it to shut down. Because of that, you can no longer use your chakra to do jutsu…!"

"His wasn't the only one affected by that last exchange," Neji enlightened. "Why don't you learn to better control that jutsu if you're going to attack with a comrade…"

"WHAT!!? I'll have you know, I have great control of my jutsu!! I can now choose if I want to only make the shut down temporary or if I want it to be permanent!"

Hearing this, and presented with an opportunity, Daisuke quickly pulled out a couple of kunai. He reared back and was about to launch them at Naruto and Neji, but…

A sharp, steel ring slipped around his head and neck as a familiar voice said, "And now… I put an end to this heartache…"

Yuzuki swiftly pulled back on her staff, beheading Daisuke in one go. As his blood splattered, relief began to set in as this tragic tale finally came to an end.

Seeing Naruto and Kohaku shiver, Sakura and Hinata rushed to their sides. "Are you alright?" they asked.

Naruto was surprised to see the two fuss over him the way they were. They did just about everything from checking their vitals to checking their reflexes. When they found that they were alright, for the most part, their attention shifted to the elder Yuzuki.

She sat on the ground with Kazuki's head in her lap. As he coughed up blood, she gently stroked his hair, trying to comfort him.

With a smile on his face, he said, "Heh… I don't regret a thing… I wish it didn't have to end this way, but… I'm glad that… you're here in the end… If I had the choice to do this again and again… whether in this life or another…… I would every… time…"

Yuzuki cracked a weak smile and said, "I wouldn't… If I had the option of doing everything the same, I would change it so that it wouldn't end this way… but… being here this way, with you… is actually kind of… nice…"

This brought a smile to Kazuki's face. The last smile he could muster. Yuzuki could see as the light in his reflective eyes faded. She closed his eyes, wiped away his tears, and wiped the blood from his mouth. One last time, she stroked his hair and smiled at him. Kohaku joined and, both feeling exhausted from this ordeal, leaned against each other…

Back at the palace, with their mission complete, the Leaf shinobi prepared to return to their own country and village. They all could use a good deal of rest…

"I told you… I'm fine…!"

"Naruto… you were exposed to that weird jutsu, so, who knows how or when it might affect you," Sakura reasoned.

"I told ya already…!"

"B-…but…" Hinata tried.

"I'm fine," Naruto irritatedly groaned. "You should know that by know… you did spend the night watchin' over me…"

A blush came to Hinata's face as she awkwardly looked away. "I… I was too concerned to sleep…"

Sakura wanted to admit to the same, but she felt it was a little weird, even if she was worried about the lunkhead. She felt even worse when Naruto revealed…

"Thanks for your concern, but I think I had a dream because of it. There was this shiny and shimmering angel and this scary demon with a bunch of fire around it…"

"_Is he saying that he had a dream about __**us**__?"_ Sakura pondered.

Naruto continued, "The strangest thing about it, however, was that I couldn't see their faces. All I know for sure is that that demon scared the _**bejeezes **_outta me…"

Sakura wanted to explode and rip his throat out. _"Obviously the angel was Hinata. You'd think he'd figured it out after seeing her jutsu a few times… But what bothers me, is that if she's the angel, then that must mean that __**I'm **__that scary demon! I should break his neck for thinkin' of me that way!!" _

"Naruto… you're such an idiot, man," Kiba commented. Naruto was about to fly off the handle, but Kiba continued, "If you would just let them see about you for a little while, everything would be ok. They're both clearly worried about you, but you could make all that go away if you'd just let Hinata do her thing."

"_**Fine**_," he groaned.

They all gathered to say their goodbyes for now. The royal family bid farewell to the Leaf shinobi, thanked them for their help, and told them to come again. The Feudal Lord even offered them the opportunity to become his own personal and loyal "Ninja Guardsmen" as they would be generously rewarded and well taken care of, as long as he was Feudal Lord.

They politely declined but agreed to keep his offer in mind. Since that was the case, there were still plenty of slots open…

"I'll be sure to give each and every one the right amount of attention and motherly love that they may need. I don't want the same incident to occur again. I'm too old for something like that," the elder Yuzuki smiled.

The Leaf shinobi smiled and went on their way. As they casually made their way back to the village, Naruto couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. At the moment, he was being constantly monitored by Hinata's jutsu. Like a couple of years before, Naruto had her chakra ring on him as they traveled. Since his training with Master Jiraiya, he felt that he no longer needed to be watched over like a new hatchling, but that wasn't all. Anytime he would quicken his pace, Hinata would be right in stride as well. Normally, she was pretty timid, but, right now, she was being as persistent as he had ever seen. Frustrated as he was, Naruto suddenly stopped and caused the others to as well…

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Sakura asked.

Naruto flashed a smile. "Let's race!"

"Huh?" everyone questioned.

"Race…? Why somethin' like that?" Kiba asked as he watched Naruto shift the position of his backpack.

Naruto looked over to Hinata, leaned forward, and said, "Get on…"

Shocked, she said, "Huh?"

With dull eyes, Neji stated, "You've been hanging around Lee and Gai sensei too much…"

High above a sandy courtyard, standing and sitting on peaks and the nearby building, and above several unconscious men, stood Sasuke with Suigetsu, a woman with glasses and long red hair, Karin, and a large young man with orange hair, Juugo.

"So why have you gathered us, Sasuke?" Karin asked.

"I have a goal… It would be easier to achieve it with a small team. I've chosen you because of your abilities. From here on, we will call ourselves _'Hebi'_… Our aim… is Itachi Uchiha."

* * *

**End of chapter… **

The Leaf shinobi successfully complete their mission and return home…

Meanwhile, Sasuke has gathered shinobi of his choice, and their aim…

Next chapter: Akatsuki hunt…


	16. The Hunt

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap: **

The Leaf shinobi successfully complete their mission and return home. Meanwhile, Sasuke has gathered shinobi of his choice. Their aim is to help him carry out Sasuke's lifelong goal of avenging his clan, with motives of their own as well.

* * *

**The Hunt**

Jiraiya and Tsunade sat on a bench near the park. There, they spoke and reminisced about the past, talked about the present, and wondered about the future.

"It makes me _sick_ that the Akatsuki is a group of some of the most powerful and dangerous criminals in the world. To think that someone is actually able to get them to do his bidding seems kinda scary," Tsunade hinted as she looked to the large hermit.

He knew what she was trying to say and got up saying, "Well… I guess I should be going," he tried before she could make her point.

He had found out the location of the Akatsuki's mysterious leader. She knew that she couldn't change his mind no matter what. If the case was different, then maybe, but the man's grandchildren were at risk. She hesitantly wished, "Come back alive." This stopped him in his tracks. He was surprised to hear this from her in such a sincere way after so many years. She went on, "If I lose you on top of everything else…"

"You'd cry for me…?" he smiled. "That's nice to know, but I doubt it'd be that bad. Ha ha ha… You're a strong woman, so I'm sure you'll show that strength for everyone… if it comes to that." Tsunade looked like she didn't agree, so Jiraiya said, "How about we make a bet…? You can bet that I'll die, and, with your luck, I'm sure it'd never happen." He got a small smile out of her. This gave him the courage to press on, "In return… when I make it back…"

"Wha-… what?" she blushed as she felt she knew where he was heading. Normally, she wouldn't even give him the chance to finish, but this time, she had to admit, she was hoping to hear it…

Seeing her cutely blush like an innocent young girl, Jiraiya began laughing, "Bwahahaha…! I'm joking! I'm joking! Hitomi would kill me before that happened. She may not want me, but she definitely doesn't want any other woman to have what was once hers…!"

Tsunade's blush disappeared. She narrowed her eyes and grumbled, "Idiot."

With his laugh fading but his smile remaining, he thanked her, "I've got a lot to thank you for… Because of you, a lot of good things have happened in my life… and it's all thanks to you constantly turning me down. A guy gets stronger and more determined when he's rejected, and he's useless if he hasn't experienced it enough to joke about it… He may even be able to write a book about it," he said while pulling out one of his books.

Even though she didn't want to, Tsunade smiled at this. "So, it's the guy's duty to take on hardship, huh…?"

"Well, yeah… Happiness isn't something that men are meant to seek, necessarily…"

Tsunade snidely turned her head and scoffed, "Hah… What's with that _cool _attitude…? Without us women, then there's no one around to reject you." Jiraiya chuckled and agreed with her before she changed the mood of the conversation again, "If anything happens, send a toad, and I'll come for you right away."

From what she said, and the way she was looking at him, Jiraiya could tell that she meant it. She would travel to hell and back to retrieve him this time. He had to assure her that she didn't have to go that far. "Don't say things like that. The village relies on you, so you can't leave."

She came back, "There are plenty of others that could take over as Hokage."

Jiraiya corrected her thoughts by stating, "A village can't stay stable if its leader constantly changes. Besides, there's no one who can do the job the way you do! There's no one that can do it better!"

This got through to her, but she still debated, "We have Kakashi, and then there's Naruto when the time comes…"

"Kakashi's fair enough, but Naruto… He may have developed enough to hang with stronger opponents, but his leadership qualities still need a lot of work."

"Well, I assumed that since you taught him the Rasengan, and since he's your grandson and his father's son--,"

"Yeah, yeah… I get it, but I taught him that on a whim. Seeing him and getting to know him better reminded me of Minato and Kushina."

"Minato Namikaze, huh… I haven't heard or spoke his name in so long, but I can't help but think of him every time I see that little knucklehead…"

"They may look similar, but their personalities are pretty different. He was a kind man that didn't really enjoy causing others pain, but his spirit was incredible. That's somethin' when it comes to one of the most blood-thirsty clan to come into existence. He fought his natural instincts and became favored to be the 4th Hokage. I was so proud when that happened…"

"Yeah, I would too if he were my son," Tsunade agreed. "But, now that you mention it, I guess that Naruto really isn't much like him. If you ask me, he's more like his mother. Yuuki as well, to a degree," she said while looking to Jiraiya.

Realizing what she was saying, Jiraiya sweat-dropped as he tried to shift the focus, "Yeah, I agree. Both of those kids _do_ act like their mother did when she was younger, especially after she came here from the former Whirlpool Country…"

"Kushina Uzumaki," Tsunade mused. "It seems that anyone we've come across with the Uzumaki name have been highly aggressive and stubborn. Whether it's games, fighting, or even _romance_, they never seem to give up. From the moment they develop feelings for someone, they pursue them to the best of their abilities, even if there's not the slightest inkling of reciprocation." She glanced over to Jiraiya with a blush but dully said, "Sometimes, I wonder if you might actually be an Uzumaki…"

Three big sweat droplets rolled down the back of Jiraiya's head. Although he did want to be together with Tsunade, now wasn't the time to start something that he may not be able to finish. "C'mon now…! You know that when I was younger, those two clans were too great of rivals to mix… even if the girls were really cute," he drooled a little.

As he shook it off, Tsunade took it from there. "She was such a little tomboy when she was younger, but she really did grow into a beauty over the years. And she finally got the guy she wanted and started a family."

"Yeah, she was tough to contend with in both beauty and fighting skills. It's been tough for Naruto to try and assimilate them to his own style, but he's coming along. He even wanted to try and add other styles to his own while we were gone."

Looking down to avoid eye-contact, still with a blush on her face, Tsunade lightly said, "I wouldn't have minded having a family like that… One that I could be proud of like I am of yours as if they were my own…"

Jiraiya chuckled, "It's funny how things work out, isn't it…? If we had actually gotten together, you'd be Naruto and Yuuki's grandmother right now."

Tsunade scrunched up her face, "Don't tease me like that… Besides, I don't think it quite works out that way."

"Oh… I didn't mean to make it seem like I was sayin' that to be mean. It's just… the kid's the last of a dying breed. He's a one-of-a-kind phenomenon that may never appear in the world again… It's because of that that I have to get going. I want to see to it that my _great_-grandkids are safe to come into this world and carry on my heritage." He wanted to say it out loud, but only thought it, _"I hope I get to see them…"_ As he turned to leave, he remembered to say, "Be careful of the _'Root'_," he warned.

They said their goodbyes as he walked away. They both hoped that this wasn't the last…

After returning to the village, and getting a couple of nights' rest in their own beds for a change, Naruto and Sakura were called to the Hokage's office.

Tsunade hoped that this meeting would go a _certain_ direction, so as to keep Yuuki and Naruto from getting too curious about their grandfather's whereabouts.

The three teens stood in front of the Hokage. To start, Tsunade informed them, "We've raided several of Orochimaru's hideouts… In many of them, we found prisoners that praised Sasuke for eliminating their former tormentor… but there was no clue of his whereabouts…"

They all just stood there looking at her. She expected that just mentioning Sasuke would get Naruto to react. She figured that he would be the first to suggest that they be allowed to search for him and bring him home, but…

"Master… Is there… any chance that we could," Sakura played into her master's hand.

Tsunade coyly said, "The teams that investigated the hideouts lost Sasuke's trail… If I were to allow you to search for him, there'd be no guarantee that it'd all be pointless…"

She had closed her eyes and rested her head on her hand as she patiently waited for one of them, specifically Naruto, to say something like, _"We can't just give up! We have to try!"_

It took longer than she thought, however. She opened one eye to peer at the young lad. From her perspective, she could tell that he was hesitating.

Finally, he came out and said, "If we want to get Sasuke, we're to aim for the same target. We find Itachi; we may just find Sasuke as well!"

"If we could just capture one member of the Akatsuki, maybe we could get information about Itachi from them," Sakura suggested.

Tsunade played, "Itachi, huh…? Yuuki… would you like to take part in this mission?"

Yuuki's eyes widened. To the surprise of everyone, she declined by rapidly shaking her head. If it were anyone other than Itachi, then maybe, but she didn't want to come across that guy ever again.

Following her, Tsunade mentioned, "I already have units out there trying their best to capture an Akatsuki alive if they can…"

"The problem is that they aren't easy to capture," Kakashi joined. "It can take much more than the usual 4-man squad to take on even one of these guys, much less two of them…"

"I understand what you're getting at, Kakashi, but… do you really want to go through with it?"

"Don't worry… I feel that this should work just fine," Kakashi assured.

_****Sasuke****_

Sasuke led his group to a large, secluded area. They entered to find strange talking cats that threatened them until they realized that it was Sasuke.

"It's been a while, Denka, Hina," Sasuke greeted.

"Why if it isn't that boy, Sasuke…"

"What are you doin' here, nya?"

He answered, "To get a few things, weapons, medicine… those kinds of things. It's time to settle things…"

Showing little interest really, one of the cats asked if he had brought them anything. Because he had, they happily led him further into the hideout. There, they met with an old woman surrounded by more cats and her assistant. They supplied Sasuke and his group with what they asked for and they were off….

_*********_

A giant sphere of water bursted. The water contained within spilled about, drowning the forest and turning it into a new lake. On top of this "new lake" stood Itachi and Kisame, who hoisted a tattered and torn old man with shaggy red hair onto his sword.

"Heh… For a minute there, I thought I was gonna be boiled," Kisame said with a smile. He then felt a few sprinkles hit his skin and looked to the sky. "Rain, huh…? A little bit is no big deal, but it could've been a little helpful before," he commented.

"No… it looks more like a storm," Itachi corrected.

"Well, either way, we should probably get somewhere dry. The leader will want to seal the tailed-beast as soon as possible." Kisame looked at Itachi, "If you want, I could take care of your target as well. I'll half-kill 'em just like I did this one."

"There's no need… I'm a bit tired, but I can do it myself. The sooner we catch it, the sooner I get to rest… For now, all we can do is take our time and search carefully. It isn't like my target will just appear before us…"

"Yeah… that would be convenient," Kisame remarked. "Imagine if the one you were after came lookin' for you," he chuckled.

_*********_

It had started to rain once again for the week. Eight hooded figures, and one big dog, stepped beyond the gate of the Leaf Village. It was lousy weather to begin in, but they wanted to get to it as soon as possible. As the downpour increased, the group set out…

_*********_

The sealing ritual had ended and the Akatsuki were free to go. It had taken them some time to seal the 4-tails, but they had done it. There was now nothing more to do, at least as far as the others were concerned.

According to Deidara, "There's Kakashi, and the 9-tails hosts… and there's Sasuke Uchiha… I have to repay those three from the Leaf and Sasuke. _I _was planning on taking out Orochimaru but was beaten to it. I can't forgive the little punk… So many people to pay back, so little time. Let's go, Tobi!"

_****The Leaf****_

The hooded figures, and dog, stopped momentarily on the roof of a temple. One of them began cycling through hand-seals and slammed his palm to the roof. From the smoke appeared several "Ninja hounds", including Pakkun. They assigned who would go with who, split up into small groups, and left…

Other than the dogs along with them, everyone was on their own while searching. The only group with more people than dogs was one with a big bulldog and three people. As the storm began to subside, they began removing their hoods. Yamato removed his single hood, Naruto removed two of three of hoods, and he watched as Hinata removed both of hers.

"Hinata… your hair," he pointed out.

She was shocked that he had noticed. She had made another slight change to her hairstyle. It was down and twisted and tied at the end to make a single ponytail.

She started, "I… I've been thinking of finding a style that suits me. I've been unsure of what types of changes I should make… Wha-What do you think?" she shyly, yet cutely, asked.

Naruto took in everything, what she said, what she was wearing, how she acted and carried herself…

"I think you look nice," he simply said. "To be honest, I don't think that something like that really matters. However you want to look is up to you because what really matters is how a person is, and, Hinata… you're like the nicest person I know."

She was speechless. She wanted to thank him for what he had said but just couldn't seem to get it out. She was so distracted by this that she was the only one that didn't notice that they were being observed…

_****Sasuke** **_

"What are you doing?"

"I just thought it would be nice if it was just _you _and _me_, _alo~ne_, _Sasuke_," Karin cutely said in a singsong tone after removing her glasses.

Expressionless and unmoved, Sasuke responded, "You act odd whenever you remove your glasses. Put them back on and get movin'," he ordered.

She stormed off grumbling, "Damn…"

Several minutes later, after standing around waiting for everyone to return, Sasuke suddenly said, "Come out…!"

From the shadows stepped a cloaked figure. While it approached the unsuspecting, he reached into a pouch. As he pulled out his hand, he was startled…

Yamato quickly turned and hurled several shuriken and kunai. The mysterious figure avoided them and tried to flee. He was then surprised by the sudden appearance of Naruto right before him.

Naruto threw a straight right, but the figure weaved. What he didn't see coming was that Naruto's punch was a fake. He had placed his leg between the mystery-man's and tripped him up.

As he fell backward and rolled, his hood came off to reveal…

"Kabuto Yakushi," Yamato said, displeased at their run-in.

Kabuto sprang to his feet but soon found his cloak pinned to a tree by a couple of arrows. "Looks like I wasn't hiding well enough," he smiled.

_****Sasuke****_

"That outfit… You're… apart of Akatsuki, right?"

"So, you're the Sasuke I've heard so much about…? It's nice to meet ya…"

Sasuke didn't reply in kind. Instead he asked, "Where is Itachi?"

"You really do look like him, you know…? I guess that makes sense since you _are_ his brother, after all," the masked guy goofily said. "By the way, Tobi here… I'm new to the Akatsuki, but I promise you, I'm very strong… in my own right…"

Sasuke didn't care about all of this. He directed a glare in Tobi's direction that caused him to back down and tremble behind a tree. This seemed over the top to Sasuke, and he was right because, from above…

"HA!" Deidara said, detonating a clay bird.

_****Naruto****_

"You should know that there's no way you can hide from me and my sensing ability," Naruto told him.

His smile widened. "Like I was trying to hide. I came here to find you with a purpose…"

"You've got some nerve," Yamato stated. "You're a wanted criminal back in the village, you know…? So… what is this _'purpose'_ you have for seeking us out?"

"I've brought a present for Naruto that I believe he will come to greatly appreciate…"

He reached into his pouch once again and fully pulled a booklet. He hurled it to the Leaf shinobi. They watched it as it flopped on the ground, unknowingly giving Kabuto the chance he needed to slip away.

Yamato cautiously made his way over to the booklet and asked what it was. Hidden within the forest, Kabuto informed them that it was a book put together by Orochimaru and himself. It contained some information on members of the Akatsuki organization.

Yamato picked it up and opened it to a page on Sasori. He then inquired, "Why are you giving this to us? Are you trying to make a deal for us to let you go in exchange for this information?"

"No… I'm not looking to bargain with you now. You've already got the book in your hands… It's more… of a thanks to Naruto." From where he hid, he could see that the three were confused by his words. He elaborated, "After Lord Orochimaru died, I found myself lost… I unfortunately had no clue as to who I was once again... With nowhere to go or belong, I was taken in by those you'd consider the enemy. Since then, I moved about countries and villages as a spy. Because of this, things like villages or countries hold no weight in my mind. I felt this way until I came to Lord Orochimaru, but, with him gone… I began to feel old feelings return. Without him… who am I really…? The pain of not having an identity of your own… I'm sure you of all people understand, Naruto." Naruto and the others slipped into the dark forest as he continued, "You probably question which you really are… _'Am I Naruto Uzumaki, or am I the dreaded and feared 9-tails…?'_ I'm sure this has crossed your mind countless times as you felt the stings of the hot gazes of those back in that village… But you… you chose not to let that get to you and believed in your own power. You are, without a doubt, Naruto Uzumaki! You know your identity, and, gaining the respect of your friends and even some of the villagers, you got that across to everyone. I, on the other hand, never tried it your way. I clung to Lord Orochimaru and his great power, but now… I'm more aware and better understand how you feel. I wish to be more like you, Naruto… and for that reason… with Lord Orochimaru integrated into my body, I plan on becoming a stronger and better _'me'_ that far surpasses my former Lord…! Because of this new motive, I thank you, _Naruto Uzumaki_…!"

Just as he finished, Naruto and the others had him surrounded and were astonished and horrified at the sight of his real appearance. The skin around his left eye resembled that of Orochimaru. It extended from there to his ear and further down his body to most of his left arm. Even the smile he flashed them resembled the dark essence that was once seen in the sadist, Orochimaru.

"What--?" Hinata was speechless. She didn't understand what would make someone do something like this to themselves.

Naruto sniffed the air and stated, "You definitely stink of that _**snake**_, _**Orochimaru**_…!"

Kabuto smirked, "With cells of my former Lord implanted within this body, I'll rise to great heights in this world… I'll have to admit, however, it seems that they're steadily trying to take over my body, but, if I can resist… then there'll be no doubt in my mind that I'll be capable of taking on powerful shinobi, such as, the Akatsuki, Sasuke, and let's not forget… _you_," he taunted.

Both Naruto and Hinata tensed at this. He balled his fists and charged, yelling, "GO AHEAD AND GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT!!"

Kabuto readied himself. He managed to slip by him and knocked down a surprise arrow. He looked into the tree and smiled at Hinata. He then jumped upward to avoid the collision of the three below, revealed to be Shadow Clones. While in the air, Yamato took this as an opportunity to subdue him. Wood exploded from the ground in order to wrap around him, but he hacked them to kindle using a Medic-enhanced chop. He was then caught off-guard…

"UZUMAKI'S BARRAGE!!"

Kabuto was crushed by a heel kick that sent him crashing to the ground. Upon landing, Naruto began walking back to the clearing. Hinata and Yamato soon found why when they saw Kabuto's body… or a husk of it. He had gotten away, but maybe the booklet he gave them could be useful…

_****Hebi****_

Juugo walked about the forest, searching. He held out his hand as he noticed a few birds flying overhead. A couple landed on his long digit. He asked them for a little help, and they chirped to him before flying away.

He waited for some time before the same few birds returned. Once again, they perched upon his finger. As they _"talked"_ to him, he said, "I see…"

His skin began to change as his seal spread over his body. As if in a rush, he ran off into the forest…

"Who the hell--?" the armed guard never got the chance to finish as he was quickly beheaded. The unusual noise caught the attention of the two men inside. One went to check it out but was crushed as soon as he reached the door.

Atop of the door on top of the man stood Suigetsu. He looked down on him with his smiling face and apologized, "Sorry 'bout that…"

He got off and yanked him from underneath. He dragged the guy all the way to the couch and forcibly sat him beside the other man.

"What the hell…?! You--!"

As the guy sat forward, Suigetsu quickly used his sword. Very swiftly, he slipped one of the men's head into the hole in the blade and stuck the other against the wall by placing it at his throat.

With an eerie smile on his face, he leaned forward to say, "You're the guy who does the bookkeeping for the Akatsuki's Kakuzu, right…? I want you to tell me what you know… if you want to keep on living that is…"

Sakura, and her company, made their way through the forest and came to a small village on the outskirts of it. As they progressed further, she noticed one of the dogs sniffing.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

One informed her, "It's faint, but… _[Sniff, sniff]_… I think I've picked up on Sasuke Uchiha's scent…"

A bit surprised, she said, "Lead me to him…!"

They did as she asked and further entered the village. She was led into a river of people coming and going. It was becoming quite difficult to move about with so many people packed on the street.

She even bumped into someone as she heard one the hounds say, "It's really close!"

Then, after a brief pause, "I'm confused… It was close, but now it seems that it's moving away. I can also still smell it as if it were right here…"

Sakura began to look around to hopefully see some sign of Sasuke. She anxiously hoped that, maybe, he was watching her at the moment and that she could at least get a momentary glimpse of him. Maybe even for him to be within earshot so that he could hear her as she said what she felt she needed to say.

As she searched, the only thing that caught her eye was the odd red hair of some random, dark-cloaked woman walking through the crowd. Other than that, "_No~,"_ she depressingly whined.

She gazed down but noticed the dogs' ears twitching. "There's something goin' on out there!"

_****Sasuke****_

Deidara was a bit peeved that his surprise attack was rendered ineffective against Sasuke. The large snake protection coiled around him smoldered and fell to pieces as it crashed to the ground.

"Looks like he's got some skill," Tobi complimented.

Deidara didn't want to hear it. "I can't believe that Orochimaru was taken out by a brat like this… Hmm." He looked across the way and smiled at Sasuke's expression, and sharingan. "Such malice… I like those eyes, Tobi. Hmm. Itachi's definitely gonna be mad at me now…!"

_****Naruto** **_

Naruto had taken the booklet provided by Kabuto and was now sniffing it. He was thinking of tracking him down from this, but he was too distracted to bring it up.

Seeing that he was unfocused, Hinata asked, "Naruto… are you okay?"

Naruto looked as if he had been jolted from his thoughts. He turned to Hinata and smiled at her. She cracked a small smile as well, but it washed away as she saw him return to his daze.

He was a bit concerned with what was going on. Because he had come into contact with Sasuke, not only once, but twice, he knew that, at the very moment, Sasuke was locked in battle. If that didn't make things bad enough, the Akatsuki, Deidara, was his opponent. Naruto was conflicted on what to do. He felt that helping Sasuke wouldn't be the way to go because he knew that it wouldn't change his mind. No matter what, Sasuke would do what he wanted. Naruto was also concerned with whether or not he actually wanted it this way. He closed his eyes and focused. For now, he would just have to sit back and observe…

A few minutes later, his eyes shot open…

_****Minutes before****_

Sakura was still looking around. Once again, the only thing that seemed to catch her eye was the sight of red hair. It was strangely alluring to her. For some reason, she just couldn't stop focusing on this…

"That ain't good!" one of the dogs stated.

Sakura shifted to ask them what they were talking about, but, out the corner of her eye, she noticed the red-haired woman run off back toward the forest. With mention from the hounds, they did the same.

She found it strange that the woman was headed in the exact same direction the hounds were leading her. This changed when the woman changed directions. With no time to ponder on where she was headed, Sakura and company continued onward.

Shortly as they went on, one of the hounds mentioned that _they _were now the ones being followed. The other mentioned that he could smell Sasuke's scent coming from two directions. They were considering turning and confronting the mysterious woman, whom may have come in contact with one of their targets, but…

_****Sasuke, moments before** **_

A giant dragon, with someone pinned to its back, plummeted to the earth after having one of its wings clipped. As it crashed to the earth, several giant explosions occurred…

"I KNEW IT! I TOLD YOU THAT YOU'D DIE IN AN EXPLOSION!!" Tobi yelled. "Stupid idiot!!"

"SHUT YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH, TOBI!! Hmm!" Deidara said as he emerged from the enormous cloud of dirt and dust.

"Oh… you're still alive," Tobi comically stated as if he held no interest.

"This guy just keeps comin'," Sasuke commented, obviously annoyed by all of this.

This battle had, so far, left him shirtless, shoeless, scarred, bruised, and a little bloody. It was pretty tough, but Sasuke had to go through with it if he wanted to get information out of this guy. All he had to do was stay one step ahead, and he knew that.

Looking into Sasuke's confident eyes, eyes that reminded him of his first encounter with those similar to them, Deidara himself began to become even more aggravated. _"Dammit…! Those eyes… They're the same damn eyes…"_ "I'm better than you...! I won't lose! Not to you…! Not to you…!"

Deidara reached into his pouch and pulled a handful of clay. Sasuke anticipated something like before, but he was wrong. Usually, Deidara used his hands. This time, he ingested the clay through his own mouth.

Sasuke had no idea what madness was coming next, but Tobi did. "Uh-oh… If he's eating his clay, then that means…"

Muffled from having his mouth stuffed, Deidara managed to say, "This… is my most powerful attack…!" before spitting it all out.

It poured from his mouth like a small waterfall. As it touched the ground, it began collecting together and building and forming into something massive… a monolithic version of Deidara.

Upon seeing this massive creation, Tobi wasted no time in high-tailing it out of there. Taking a page out of his playbook, Sasuke followed suit.

"You really think you can get away from my C4 Karura…!?"

Deidara immediately detonated it to ensure that Sasuke didn't get too far. Once again, Sasuke was surprised. He expected a huge explosion, but, instead, it crumbled and seemingly faded away. It wasn't until he made his usual seal and many unfortunate animals crumbled to nothing that Sasuke realized how serious a threat this was.

"I WIN!!" Deidara exclaimed. "ART… IS A BANG!!"

In the distance, Sasuke tried his best to get out of range of this attack. Unfortunately, he wasn't as fast as he thought. His body began breaking up and dissolving into nothing…

His smile widened as Deidara witnessed this. He was ecstatic that he had finally accomplished destroying a wielder of the Sharingan.

A strange sensation was felt. Deidara turned to see a transformed Sasuke appear right in front of him. He had no time to react as Sasuke thrusted his hand through his body using a Chidori.

"You used invisible bombs, but, thanks to my sharingan, I could see them. It gives color to chakra and I tracked them through that. I also noticed that you were flying just outside of the boundary of the cloud of chakra and figured that you were just avoiding them yourself."

"Then… when I saw the C4 kill you… that was…"

"My genjutsu," Sasuke revealed.

"I… I knew it," Deidara strained.

"I missed your heart on purpose. Now, tell me… where is Itachi?"

"Kuh… You think you've won… You haven't won yet," Deidara denied.

"Give it up… You're almost out of chakra--,"

Sasuke was surprised by his ankles suddenly being grabbed. He watched the Deidara before him return to a lump of clay and looked down to see the real one coming up from within the clay bird they were riding.

"I trained my left eye to be resilient to genjutsu thanks to Itachi. Yours was nothing compared to Itachi's and that's why I didn't fall for it! This time… you'll _really_ eat my C4!! Hmm!"

"Cra--!"

Once again, a big clay clone blew from his mouth. This time, it encased Sasuke and trapped him. Deidara distanced himself but found that Sasuke had been right. He _was _nearly out of chakra. The only thing he could do at the moment was fall to the earth and detonated the last amount of clay he could mold.

He would have to act fast. Sasuke exploded from within and tried to attack and finish him before he could destroy him from the inside…

"HA!" Deidara detonated as he crashed into the treetops of the forest.

He then roughly fell to the ground below. As he sat up, he was both shocked and horrified to see Sasuke before him. He couldn't believe it. "What the hell…?"

Sasuke began to slowly approach him. For every step he came closer, Deidara would scoot back. He didn't understand how this was possible.

"Don't you know…? You can't show your hand-seals in front of a Sharingan user. No matter how fast, I could read them… With every technique you used, I noticed that you used the _'Earth'_ seal. Because of this, and the fact that I use _'Lightning'_ style and my sharingan, I'm the worst matchup for you."

Deidara got it now. Sasuke had diffused all of Deidara's _"bombs"_ with the use of his electricity, rendering them useless. He had set out to do this since the beginning in order to show him that he had no chance. All he wanted from Deidara was information on Itachi's whereabouts. Hopefully, this all showed him just how futile resistance was. He even told him that he had another technique if things didn't go as planned.

Deidara didn't want it to end this pathetically, especially with Sasuke mocking him and turning off his sharingan. He tried to get back up and continue fighting, but he was too weak. He had no choice but to resort to drastic measures…

"I'll win no matter what!" he said while grabbing more clay. Seeing that Sasuke didn't seem to care, he was even more agitated. "You _could_ show some fear, don't you think…? Hmm… You'll be sure to die this time… you and those _**damn**_criticizing eyes!!"

Sasuke responded, "I don't give a damn about that. Just tell me where Itachi is…"

Deidara reacted by ripping off his shirt. He then pulled a string on his chest to open another mouth there. From there, he shoved the clay inside and flashed a sadistic smile…

"This is my ultimate art! We're gonna _**die**_ together!!" he said with a crazy look in his eyes. "Death will make me a piece of art! An unbelievable explosion that'll make incredible scars in the earth… and finally… _FINALLY_… _my art will get the praise it deserves_!"

Sasuke tried to run. Because of all he invested into this fight, he couldn't move very fast, however. The only thing that flooded his mind was finding a way to get away from the coming explosion…

"The explosion'll cover a radius of 10 kilometers! Don't think you'll escape! Hmm… NOW… _be frightened_!!_ Cower in awe, and cry your heart out_…!_ Because my art_…_ IS A BANG_!!"

_*********_

An unusually large-scaled explosion caught the attention of many. To the several shinobi that had been scowering the area, this was a bright and shiny beacon drawing them near.

"What in the world is that?" several of the shinobi questioned as they saw it.

"Kakashi, what is that?" Pakkun asked.

Kakashi answered, "I know this feeling… this chakra… It belongs to an Akatsuki member we ran into a while back!"

_****Sakura & Karin** **_

The massive explosion sent a lot of debris flying about. Even so, against the force and the warnings of the ninja hounds, Sakura tried to press on. She trudged on with the help of her mighty axe. She would slam it into the ground and pull herself forward… until what seemed like an entire forest was blown her way. Sakura acted quickly. She grabbed up her axe and swung with all her might. With her force, she slashed through the trees with ease. She felt a bit relieved, but it all washed away as more came her way. She tried to lift her axe again but couldn't. It had been planted into the ground too deep. She struggled to free it, and when she finally did… it was too late…

"KYAAAAAAHHH!!!"

Karin was behind her taking cover. She flinched as she saw this incident. With her years under Orochimaru, she had seen many things, but she was never exposed to this kind of thing so close. It was kind of surreal that she had seen people cut and slashed and left a bloody mess waiting to die from it, but she actually winced from seeing a few broken bones.

_****Hinata & Yamato** **_

Both Hinata and Yamato seemed to be in a panic. They both looked everywhere they could, but…

"Wh-wh-wh-… where did Naruto go?!" Hinata wondered.

"_Aye_… Kakashi's gonna be mad at me… What a disgrace," Yamato worried.

_****Suigetsu****_

Suigetsu had stopped in a clearing. He quickly pulled out a scroll and noticed the snake symbol on it disappearing. "He did it…"

He unrolled it, opened a small bottle, and poured the blood inside onto it. Slamming his palm on it and adding chakra, he said, "Summoning Jutsu!!"

From it appeared a giant horned snake. Other than its purple skin, it was burnt and smoky…

"So this is Orochimaru's summon, Manda… I heard that he was uncontrollable to the point that not even Orochimaru could even tame him…"

He then found the answer to it after looking into the large, dull eyes of the snake itself. He saw similar tomoe around its pupil like he would in Sasuke's eyes when he had his sharingan activated.

From its mouth stumbled Sasuke. He too was a bit burned and in bad shape, but not as bad as Manda. Seeing this, Manda weakly said, **"You… you trash…! You used me! You… used those** _**damned**_** eyes… to control me…!"**

As his breath faded, Suigetsu said that he died. "You gotta treat animals better than that, you know…? And to control them like that through genjutsu and all…"

"I didn't have a choice… There was no other way," Sasuke defended.

"You had me scared there for a while…"

The two turned to see Naruto approaching with a smirk on his face. Suigetsu immediately reached for his blade asking, "Who are you?!"

Naruto didn't react exactly how Suigetsu expected him to. Instead of showing signs of being startled, he simply stopped a short distance away. Suigetsu kept his hand on his weapon and his guard up…

Sasuke's breathing steadied as he said, "I told you, what I do is not your or the village's concern."

"You can say that all you want, but that's not how I feel. It's definitely not the way Kakashi sensei or Sakura feel," Naruto said as he began walking off.

Suigetsu turned back to Sasuke to ask, "Who is this guy?" When he turned back, Naruto was nowhere to be found. He asked again, "Who _was_ that?!"

Sasuke simply replied, "No one…"

Suigetsu was about to question this but Karin and Juugo's sudden appearance distracted him from this.

"I KNEW YOU WERE HERE. YOUR CHAKRA SUDDENLY VANISHED, SO I WAS WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED!" she loudly said. Once they got to them, she said, "There was another signature here that I didn't recognize… Did _he_ do this to you?"

At first Sasuke wasn't going to say anything. Suigetsu told them that the guy that was just there wasn't responsible, and this got Sasuke to talk. "Right before we were able to get away, Manda and I got hit by part of the blast. The guy I was fighting was a part of the Akatsuki, and he was a lot stronger than I thought…"

While he was saying this, members of his assembled team had a few thoughts of their own. Both Suigetsu and Juugo figured that it would be best if they took a break. Karin, on the other hand, couldn't help but marvel at how "hot" she thought Sasuke looked.

_*********_

Sitting on top of the largest building was the unknown figure, the leader of the Akatsuki. His spiky orange hair waved in the wind as a small breeze blew through the city. Through his ringlet eyes, he steadily watched over the city. He did this until he heard a woman's voice…

"Pein… he's here," she informed.

He got up from the ledge and entered the building. As he walked by the blue-haired angel, he saw Tobi step forward from the shadows…

"Deidara has died," he informed. His voice was much different that it usually was around everyone else. It didn't sound as light and goofy, but, instead, it was deeper and in a more serious tone.

"So, how was Sasuke?" Pein asked. He wasn't surprised to see this change in character from Tobi, for he knew the truth.

"Not bad at all," Tobi answered. "He made extremely good use of his sharingan… His eyes are already better than Itachi's. It won't be long now…"

"So it's time to get the 9-tails…?"

"You do it. Since you're leader, I expect nothing less than success… The targets may no longer be under the Legendary Jiraiya's guard, but… neither are helpless children, especially Naruto Uzumaki. He's shown some dangerous and formidable jutsu. There are also many that would come to their aid if need be. It won't be easy."

"Don't talk as if the target is some scary, unstoppable creature. Pein has never lost a battle," the woman interjected.

"Uh huh… I guess that's true," Tobi stated. "Anyway, I've said what I came to say. Tell the remaining Akatsuki members to hurry and capture their targets." He walked over to the edge, and then said, "Soon… our goals will be achieved, and then everything will be as it should… I will gain the true power of the Sharingan… the power that's mine, Madara Uchiha…"

As lightning flashed and the thunder crashed, he disappeared, leaving Pein and his partner to prepare themselves. That wasn't the end of their visitors, however…

"That guy… He can't help but order others around," a guy said from the shadows.

As he remained there, all that could be seen were blood red eyes and a dark, toothy grin…

"Is there something you want, coming here?" the woman asked.

From the shadows, with a flash of lightning, it could be seen as he turned up the corner of his lip saying, "Just checkin' in on you… Don't you find it interesting that, although we've come together to help one another achieve similar purposes, that's as far as our common ground goes…? That old fossil wants to gather the power of the tailed-beasts for his own purposes, and I'm sure you have your own…"

"And, what purpose do you have for allying yourself with us?" the woman inquired.

Another flash of lightning and it could be seen that his smile broadened greatly as he said, "Well… I have no interest in the tailed-beasts like you guys. Instead… I have my own target in mind," he vaguely finished.

* * *

**End of chapter… **

Several hunters set out with their minds set on their targets…

As they get on the trail, who will find their target first?

Next chapter: Target found…


	17. Target Found!

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap: **

Several hunters cover wide ranges and areas to find specific targets. Jiraiya sets out to find the mysterious leader of the Akatsuki, the Leaf 8-man squad searches for either of the last remaining Uchiha, and Sasuke is more determined than ever to find Itachi so that they can finally finish things. While searching, Sasuke unfortunately comes across Deidara who wanted his _"art" _to leave an impression on anyone who witnessed it. Deidara attempted to end both of their lives in one huge explosion but ultimately failed. Now Sasuke is free to get back to his real objective...

* * *

**Target Found!**

_****Team Hebi** **_

Sasuke was forced to take a short time for bed-rest while he recovered from his wounds. While he had no choice, he asked if anyone found any useful information…

"I heard plenty about Akatsuki as a whole, but nothin' on Itachi Uchiha specifically," Suigetsu responded.

Karin was the same. When they looked to Juugo, he answered, "From what the animals told me, the Akatsuki has several bases they operate out of. They say that they feel strange and unpleasant chakra from those places."

Suigetsu laughed at this, saying, "Ha… Even animals can sense chakra; I guess that doesn't make it that special anymore if even things as _stupid_ as animals can do it… And what's funny is that that's Karin's only redeeming quality. Maybe we should replace her with one of them. I'm sure that we'd get the same results with a lot less annoyance--,"

"Asshole!!" Karin exploded with several brutal stomps to Suigetsu. As he splashed all around the room, Juugo twitched. His body began shivering as Karin continued to punish Suigetsu for all the badmouthing he'd done.

Juugo's urges were getting the best of him. As his curse mark spread over his body, his primal roaring caught everyone's attention. Karin stopped as Juugo looked at them all with a murderous look in his eyes.

As he moved an inch, one word from Sasuke stopped him and returned him to a more calm state. It was good that this was all it took because Sasuke was too exhausted to get into another fight this soon. As he began to drift off to sleep, he wondered if Naruto wanted to bring him back to the village, then why didn't he take advantage of the state he was in the day before. Perhaps it would come to him by the time he was refreshed.

_****Teams 7 & 8****_

The Leaf shinobi had gathered around the site of the explosion. Upon arrival, Hinata was happy to see Naruto. She was about to jump on him and hug him but stopped when she saw that he was alright. Seeing his serious expression, she withheld the idea of hugging him and instead settled for being next to him.

The only one missing was Sakura. One of the dogs that were with her showed up however. He informed the others that she had been injured and was currently trying to heal herself.

Naruto jumped up. He, Kakashi, Pakkun, Yamato, and Hinata followed the dog to her location while the others were left to pick up on Sasuke's scent. They cut through the forest and followed the debris from the explosion to where Sakura was nursing a broken leg. By the time they arrived, she was trying to heal the broken bone in her right leg. She bashfully smiled as they came to her. Being as careful as can be, she was helped onto Naruto's back, and he carried her back to the others.

Returning, Kiba informed them that they had Sasuke's scent. One of the dogs that were originally with Sakura mentioned that along with Sasuke's scent, there was the same as the woman they came across mixed in with others.

As it was agreed that they would trail Sasuke, Naruto said nothing other than concern for Sakura's condition. Instead of being sent back to the village, she wanted to meet Sasuke no matter what…

_****Akatsuki hideout****_

The Akatsuki were gathered once again. This time, it was to discuss the loss of two more members. Those remaining were informed that Deidara died in a suicide bombing. His target at this time was, none other than, Sasuke Uchiha…

"Decided to take him with him, eh…?" Kisame commented. "Wait a minute… There's something we're forgetting, right?"

"Tobi," Zetsu cleared. "He was caught up in the blast."

"Ah, that's it," Kisame said with his toothy smile. "It's a shame that not even that scaredy-cat couldn't run away in time… For him to be able to brighten up our otherwise dark organization was quite the ability he had…"

With their meeting done, Kisame and Itachi made their way outside. There, they found that it was raining again.

As Itachi walked into the downpour, out of concern, Kisame said, "You'll catch a cold if you stay out there too long." Seeing that Itachi didn't respond, verbally or physically, Kisame couldn't help but consider, "I'm not sure what you're thinking, and, given how ruthless you can be, it's strange to see this, but… from here, it looks as if you're crying. It's a shame that your little brother was taken out, and you're now the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan--,"

"No… He's alive," Itachi corrected. "Besides… the storm has passed."

_****Hebi****_

While the guys watched over a resting Sasuke, Karin was out running what she called _"errands"_. To herself, she quietly said, "_I can't wait until tonight! Once Juugo and Suigetsu are out cold, I'm gonna ravage Sasuke like crazy! Hehehehe… I so excited, I can't wait! Eeeeeeehhh!!"_ she squealed.

As she took out a small bottle and spritzed herself with it, she noticed several chakra signatures quickly approaching. She rushed back to the motel to inform the others, kicking down the door and splashing Suigetsu all over…

They wasted no time in gathering their things and leaving the motel. As they left the village they settled in, Karin took a kunai, cut up some of Sasuke's clothes that she swiped, into several pieces, and had Juugo have his bird friends scatter them about the forest.

_****Leaf-8-man Squad****_

Kiba cursed, "_**Shit**_…! There's a problem…! Sasuke's on the move!!"

"We gotta hurry!" Sakura called out from Naruto's back.

"I know! I know…! But that's not the worst thing… His scent is everywhere now! It scattered about somehow." Kiba informed.

"They must've known we were coming and came up with a plan to fool our senses," Kakashi said. "It might be a good thing that we have a sensor with us," he looked to Naruto.

Looking at him, Kakashi could see some hesitation on Naruto's face. If he didn't know any better, he could've sworn that Naruto wasn't interested in catching up to Sasuke. Could that be the case? Normally, he seemed up for just about anything and took it personal whenever Sasuke was brought up, but lately…

"Naruto…!!" Kakashi snapped him out of it.

Naruto stopped and set Sakura down on a tree limb. He looked to Sakura and noticed the look in her eyes. As he said, "We'll surround 'em!" he created several Shadow Clones.

They spread about the forest. Naruto hoisted Sakura back onto his back, and they continued following Sasuke…

_****Hebi****_

Sasuke's team had arrived at one of the Akatsuki's hideouts. With confirmation from Karin that someone was inside, Sasuke headed in himself. As he crept around the corner, he noticed a figure in the back…

"You came…"

Sasuke couldn't see who it was, but by the voice, and the activation of the Sharingan that his reacted to, he could tell that it was Itachi. With this encounter coming so easily, what could Itachi want?

"You're not… going to rush at me screaming like last time, are you?"

"You don't know anything about me!"

Sasuke suddenly shifted and appeared behind Itachi. Caught by surprise, Itachi tried to retreat. Giving him no chance, Sasuke immediately extended his Chidori sword and stabbed him through the back.

As Itachi's blood dripped to the ground, Sasuke told him, "_**You don't know**_… just how much _**hatred**_ I've stored up… or _just_ how _strong_ I've become as a result! You don't know a single _**thing**_ about me!"

He increased the intensity of his chakra and skewered Itachi with his Chidori blade. From this, Itachi fell limply to the ground.

As he coughed up blood, he lastly said, "You've become strong," before scattering on the wings of crows.

Sasuke was upset to find that things hadn't gone according to plan. He _wished_ it could've gone down that easy. He then heard Itachi's voice, "If you really want to settle things now, come to the Uchiha hideout. At that point, only one of us will come out alive…"

_****Naruto** **_

Elsewhere, Naruto's clones were closing in on Sasuke's location. They took it slow but were motivated to increase their efforts when…

"Who's there?" Naruto questioned the hidden figure.

He hadn't come across this chakra signature before, so he couldn't tell from that. The scent was also unfamiliar. As he suddenly saw the eyes, he realized…

"You're… Are you here to try and capture me? 'Cause if you are, you'll have a tough time--!"

"No," Itachi denied. "That's not it. I just want to talk…"

"Abou~t…?" Naruto raised an inquiring eyebrow.

He did this to keep Itachi focused on him while a few of his clones slyly snuck up behind him. If he wanted to talk, he could do it after he was subdued. Without missing a beat, Itachi slipped out several shuriken and flung them about, taking out every clone.

"Like I said, I didn't come here to fight… I would like to talk to you…"

"If you want to talk, then do it in captivity!"

"Are you forgetting what happened last time when we crossed paths…? I heard the strategy for fighting a Sharingan user… Why aren't you fleeing?"

"Because, of all people to fight someone with the Sharingan, I'm the best suited…! Besides, I can't just run away! If we capture you, then maybe we can get Sasuke back!"

"Why don't I believe your words, Naruto Uzumaki? Just now, you sounded as if you weren't sure if you believed those words yourself," Itachi skillfully interpreted. Naruto said nothing. "Why are you so obsessed with my little brother? He betrayed you and your village to become a Missing-nin…"

This time, Naruto's look said something different. Itachi could tell that he meant every word as he said, "Because I, at least, think of him like family…! He's like my brother, and, unlike you, I want to show him that family won't screw him over for their own selfish desires…!!"

A faint smile crossed Itachi's face, for a second. He quickly activated a genjutsu and trapped Naruto within. _"Now… you have no choice but to listen to me,"_ Itachi declared. _"You want to bring Sasuke back, don't you…? But you also understand that he doesn't want to come back…"_

"I'll do whatever I have to…!" Naruto proclaimed.

"_By force if necessary, eh…? If all goes well and Sasuke goes quietly is one thing… but what if it's the opposite…? You said, you think of him as a brother, right…? Well, what would you do if you had to defend your home from that brother?"_

"Why would I have to?"

"_Sasuke is still pure and naïve… so he can be influenced by anything. If that were to happen, what would you do? Would you kill him if you had to…? Would you place his life over the Leaf Village?"_

"No! I'd find a way to protect the village and stop Sasuke without killing him!"

"_You're such a child… You and he are alike in that way. You talk of nothing but pipe dreams… There are times in a shinobi's life when he must make difficult and painful choices. You should give up on 'fairy-tale' endings…"_

Naruto responded, "Heard it before… Just because it's a different person, that doesn't mean that my answer won't be the same. I won't change my mind and go back on my word…! That's my _'ninja way'_! For me, that's what it means to be a great ninja!"

"_Is that so?"_ Itachi said with a smile that Naruto found eerie.

Naruto felt his body be restrained. He struggled and managed to force his hands up. He was going to try and break the genjutsu and only needed a little more time… time he didn't have.

As he strained and growled and roared, he was surprised to have something fly into his open mouth. It was unexpected, but it was gone before he could even try to bite down.

He then found that he was no longer trapped within genjutsu, but he could still feel whatever it was that flew into his mouth. He hacked and choked and gagged as a result.

"I've given you some of my power," Itachi stated. "I hope the day you have to resort to it never comes… I'm going now. I have something more important to attend to," he said, disappearing in a murder of crows.

_****The Rain Village****_

Jiraiya had found a way to infiltrate the heavily guarded Rain Village by way of frog. He slipped in under fall of night the night before and had been spending the entire day coyly getting more information on this _"Pein"_ guy, or _"God"_ as many of the villagers called him. When he felt that he had finally struck oil with some potential marks, he lured them in and took them prisoner inside one of his many frogs.

While he held them captive inside, he interrogated them on any useful information on their leader, Pein. Through certain methods, he found that this Pein character remained hidden in the shadows but made big moves through his own personal _"Angel"_. He also found out his suspected location, a little about the past that exalted him into _"God-status"_ legend, and the ongoing peace that he maintained for the village.

Jiraiya headed off from his prisoners to get a moment to think to himself. He made some seals and spit out an unusually long frog.

After an unpleasant greeting, Jiraiya explained, "No training this time… Certain circumstances have me thinking of leaving you here for the time being." The frog questioned this, and Jiraiya elaborated, "I'll be fighting a tough opponent, so…"

The frog understood. "Someone so strong that you wanted me to get away beforehand, huh…?"

"This is more of a _'just-in-case'_ kinda thing… But anyway, I need to stamp the storage release order now." The frog unraveled like a scroll. From there, Jiraiya stamped his chakra-tipped fingers to it. "I shouldn't be too long, so, for now or if something happens to me, store yourself with Naruto."

The frog couldn't believe what it had heard. "What…!? You want _me_, the one with the _'key'_ matchin' Naruto's seal, the _'key'_ that can either reinforce or fully release _that seal_, to store myself with him, the very safe it matches…!? Don't you think that that's kinda odd…?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, but, nonetheless… the key was left behind by Minato himself. I figure, that at some point, it should become Naruto's," Jiraiya reasoned.

"He isn't ready yet!" the frog claimed. "I'm _sure_ you haven't forgotten what happened the last time I twisted the seal even a little bit…! Those two caused plenty of devastation in such a short time!"

"I haven't… but Minato's choice to entrust the key's jutsu design is, for me, a clear sign… that he intended for one of those two to complete _'that'_ jutsu…"

"But do they have any need for such a thing!? Neither has perfect, very good even, control of the Kyuubi's chakra! If you want to talk about the 4th's intentions, it's safe to say that opening that seal and fully releasing the 9-tails would be against them!"

"But he split its chakra and left it to his children," Jiraiya stated. "Why would he go so far, especially to seal such a thing within them…?"

"Maybe he wanted them to have power. Any parent would want to ensure their kids were strong enough to make it through life," the frog concluded.

"Maybe, but… it seems to be more than that… I _was_ Minato's master… More importantly, I'm his father, so I feel I know him quite well… He's not the type to do things without reason… He probably knew something of grave importance and set things up this way because of that something…"

"You're just over thinking things," the frog dismissed.

"You think so…? But it's said that the 9-tails is a naturally occurring disaster… and it just so happened to strike the Leaf when things were settling down… I've recently begun to doubt that that was actually the case," Jiraiya had a hunch. "I think… No, I'm certain that it was the result of very intentionally summoning." The frog didn't buy his hunch and said that he was just being a "conspiracy-nut". Jiraiya continued, "No… there was someone that could pull it off… the one who put the Uchiha clan on the map… Madara Uchiha…"

The frog croaked as it laughed at Jiraiya's deduction. "Yeah, _right_! That guy was supposed to have lived at the founding of the Leaf Village. There's no _way_ that he'd be alive or in good enough condition 15 or 16 years ago!"

"Yeah, his defeat at the hands of the 1st is that of legends," Jiraiya granted. "But, still… I have a bad feeling that just won't go away…"

Getting what he could, Jiraiya decided to snoop around the village a little more in disguise of one of the men he'd captured. He would have to hurry, however, because he had detected and was now being pursued.

_****Hebi****_

Team Hebi leapt from tree to tree as quickly as they could. They had somewhere to be and no time to waste. It didn't help that they were trying to avoid contact with the Leaf shinobi that were pursuing them.

Having had enough of detours, Sasuke decided that there would be no more of that. They would go straight through if they had to.

That time soon came when Naruto appeared right before them. Without losing his focus, or even a sign of hesitation, Sasuke activated his Chidori and thrusted it into Naruto's body.

Upon effortlessly going right through him and leaving only a small cloud of smoke, the rest found that it was a Shadow Clone. Even so, Karin noted that the guy had a huge amount of chakra at his disposal to be able to make so many…

"Naruto… he never gives up," Sasuke stated.

_****Leaf-8-man Squad****_

Even though he didn't need it at this point, the defeat of his Shadow Clone put a lock on Sasuke's location for Naruto. At first, he hesitated about mentioning it to the others, but, remembering his encounter with Itachi's clone, he let them know and everyone picked up the pace to catch up.

They continued on until Naruto suddenly shouted for everyone to stop. He barely had time to react, tossing Sakura back to Kiba and Akamaru, before he was struck and sent him flying, and then crashing, to the ground. The team stopped and looked up as they heard…

"Fou~nd ya~…" a voice said in a singsong way before an orange swirl mask person appeared before them.

_****Rain Village****_

Jiraiya snuck about, hoping that things would go his way. He had to see this _"God"_ for himself.

In the distance, several butterflies fluttered about. What Jiraiya didn't know was that this was actually an accomplice to the very man he was searching so diligently for.

She realized exactly who he was and reported in, "It's Jiraiya sensei…"

Pein, with a new look, said, "Jiraiya sensei…? Really…? Just saying his name takes me back."

"I'd forgotten about that old fossil. I didn't think he'd still be so active," the red-eyed, blonde man said as he came forward.

"What do we do, Pein?" she asked.

"I'm interested to see how you handle this as well," the man grinned, causing the scars on his face to stretch and move.

His now lower back-length ponytail swayed in the wind, "We kill him… I no longer hold any love for him, and I took out this body specifically to kill the intruder… Konan… you go on ahead. Kill him if you can, but don't let him leave the village. I should be there shortly…"

_****Team Hebi****_

Sasuke's team had forced their way through several of Naruto's Shadow Clones.

"Oh my god! There's something with a huge amount of chakra comin' our way!" Karin announced. "It's comin' up fast!"

They came to a halt as someone landed in front of them. Wearing the Akatsuki robe and his trademark blue skin, both Sasuke and Suigetsu recognized him as, "You're… Kisame Hoshigaki…"

They all readied for battle, but Kisame assured them that they had nothing to worry about by saying, "You can continue on, Sasuke," but he informed them, "You can go on, but the rest of your little group has to stay put. I was asked by Itachi to see to it that no one interfered…"

"What!? There's no way that's gonna happen! Sasuke, let's take this guy down together!" Karin suggested.

"No, this is perfect. I originally formed this team for the same purpose when I finally found him."

"That's crazy!" Karin exploded. "We have to do this together!"

Kisame joined in, "I'm still a little tired and not really in the mood for another fight, but… if you insist on going together, I'll have no choice. I won't go easy on any of you."

"There's no need," Sasuke said. "I'm going on alone."

"But--!"

"Don't even think about it, Karin. This is _**my**_ revenge."

Sasuke walked by Kisame and left his team there. Shortly after their leader was gone, Suigetsu struck up a conversation…

"So~, Kisame Hoshigaki and the great sword, Samehada… long time no see."

"And, you are…?"

"You don't remember me…? I'm Mangetsu Houzuki's brother, Suigetsu."

"Really now…?" Kisame said, surprised. "You've really grown. I didn't even recognize you."

With his toothy grin, Suigetsu suggested, "Since we're stuck here waiting for Sasuke to come back, what's say we have a little fun, eh…?"

Kisame flashed a similar smile as he said, "I see you haven't lost you mischievousness… If you want to, then I suppose I can't turn you down. I'll gladly shave a few layers off of you…"

Juugo wasn't so sure about this. He questioned his decision, but Karin was all for it. _"Don't stop him, ya big lug! If he can take this guy out, then we can help Sasuke. Hell, even if he can't beat him, keepin' this guy busy should be enough…"_

Sasuke finally arrived at the Uchiha hideout. There, he found Itachi sitting on a throne. He greeted, "It seems that the target has come to the hunter."

"Itachi," Sasuke snarled.

"Tell me, little brother… what do you see with your sharingan?" Itachi asked.

_****Leaf-8-man Squad****_

"Naruto…!" Hinata ran over to his crater. She was relieved to see him spring back up.

"_Who is this guy_?" Kakashi questioned among the team. "_He wasn't on the list of Akatsuki Kabuto left us_..."

While they talked amongst themselves, Tobi loudly, and goofily, grabbed their attention by saying, "Wo~w…! I didn't think that I'd find a bunch of Leaf shinobi all the way out here…!" He counted them and exclaimed, "Ah, and it's 8-on1…! That's _**so**_ unfair!"

"Who are you?" Kakashi asked.

"Me…? I'm Tobi, but I'm not one of the tailed-beasts…"

"Would you knock it off with the goofy act...!?" Kiba and Akamaru growled. "Get outta our way!"

"He's right," Kakashi confirmed.

"See~…!"

"We do have him outnumbered. We have the advantage."

"Hu-hu~h…!? That wasn't what I meant! You're not taking me seriously! That's _**so**_ not cool! I was saying that I wasn't a tailed-beast _because_ I'm hunting them…!"

"So, you're after Naruto," Sakura assumed.

"Hmmm… It's possible," Tobi said as he glanced at Naruto.

Just looking at him gave him an odd feeling. He then realized when…

"You're mine!"

Tobi turned just in time to see Naruto thrusting a Rasengan his way. He had no time to evade… or so everyone thought. Somehow, Naruto, to his and everyone else's surprise, slipped right through the masked Akatsuki. Naruto caught himself and stopped to try again, but he was smacked away…

_****Rain Village****_

Jiraiya continued his reconnaissance, hidden within plain view. He slipped away into an abandoned area. Suddenly, a hurricane of paper engulfed the place. As if they were alive, they attacked and attached to his body, leaving only his eyes uncovered. This way, he could witness his death at his mysterious attacker's hands. Konan reformed before him, ready to strike with a sharp pike formed from more paper…

Realizing that he had been figured out, Jiraiya quickly arose from the ground and exhaled heavily. Konan clutched her nose, closing off the smell. That wasn't the end of it. Flames soon launched from Jiraiya's mouth as well. Konan avoided the flame elegantly, but barely, and distanced herself from her target.

"The _'Toad-Silhouette'_ technique…"

"And a taste of _'Dragon's Breath'_," Jiraiya added.

"Sneaking around the way you were, you made it obvious what you were up to," she assessed.

"I was hoping to snag this _'Pein'_ guy with this, but instead… I attracted you, Konan…"

"Disappointed… sensei…?"

"Not at all," he smiled. "I always _love_ being in the company of beautiful young women, such as yourself. You've grown into one _hell_ of a woman," he complimented.

"Is that all you noticed about me?"

"Nope… I mean, you can't blame me. Even with that big cloak on, I can tell that you've got a great body underneath, but that isn't all that caught my attention… You've improved your jutsu since the last time I saw you…"

"It's good that you noticed… because I'm going to use it to end your life," she claimed.

"Speakin' of lives coming to an end… how is it that you're not dead? I had heard many things on the subject, but I guess they were all just lies and rumors."

"No… What you heard was correct. After you left us, we all died… but we ascended beyond," she stated as her paper formed wings on her back.

"A-ah… The… You're… _'God's Angel'_," the Rain-nin said.

"_Angel_…? Is that what you meant when you said something about _'dying'_ and _'ascending'_…? Just because you've gotten a bit stronger, and you're practically worshiped by the people of this village, and became a knockout, doesn't mean that you should buy into all of that…"

Konan didn't react to his words. Instead, she glanced to the Rain-nin. Jiraiya looked to him as well and both told him, "Leave…!"

Getting that he wasn't wanted or needed there, he high-tailed it out of there, wishing for Konan's victory.

Alone, Jiraiya got right to it, "Who, or what, is Pein?"

"There's no need to tell you, sensei… since you will be dead shortly, as by the will of God!"

She flapped her paper-wings and launched several shards towards her former sensei. Jiraiya battled her with a fire jutsu but, in the end, rolled out of the attack's path and slickly, "_'Toad-Oil Blast'_!" expelled a great deal from his mouth.

Konan was soaked and sopping wet. Because of this, her technique was nullified and she plopped to the ground. She tried to quickly dry herself, but Jiraiya quickly subdued her. He extended his hair and wrapped it around her.

She no longer resisted as Jiraiya recalled, "You always did love your origami. It was interesting how you were the kindest, but you were always a handful when you got serious… Speaking of serious, let's get to it, shall we…?"

"Are you going to kill me, sensei?"

"I don't want to… All I want is for you to answer my questions… How did you get involved with the Akatsuki? Are the other two apart of it as well? What is its purpose? What is it that you hope to accomplish by being a part of such a thing?"

Konan didn't respond the way he wanted. "You must be thinking, _'If I had only listened to Orochimaru…'_ But you didn't and chose to save us… And now, it's too late…"

"Why?"

Konan answered, "We act to make _his_ ideology reality."

This got Jiraiya thinking. He realized what their motivation was. He never figured that something like that from his past would come back to haunt him. Of all the kids he'd come across and helped to hone their skills, Konan's words brought forth the thought of a single one, Yahiko.

"_In order for there to be understanding, everyone else will have to suffer the same pain. Until then, there will always be wars…"_

"Could it be…?"

"You have no idea what we went through after you left, sensei," Konan stated.

"You're right," Jiraiya agreed. "But there's no doubt in my mind that what you and Akatsuki's doing is wrong!"

"That's your opinion, Jiraiya sensei," a voice spoke.

Jiraiya looked up and there up high, was the one he assumed was the so-called _"God"_, Pein…

* * *

**End of chapter…**

Many set out to find certain targets, and…

Sasuke meets with Itachi, the Leaf shinobi come across a blockade by the name of "Tobi", and Jiraiya confronts Pein…

Next chapter: Higher power…


	18. Godly Powers

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap:**

Many set out to find certain targets, and Sasuke meets with Itachi, the Leaf shinobi come across a blockade by the name of "Tobi", and Jiraiya confronts Pein. He originally set out to discover the Akatsuki leader's, Pein, identity, but, has he bit off more than he can chew?

* * *

**Godly Powers**

Jiraiya looked up to see a guy with a strange orange ponytail hairstyle in the trademark Akatsuki robe. He also noticed, "You've changed a lot, but I'd recognize those eyes anywhere… I never figured that _you_ were Pein, Nagato… I guess you didn't grow up the way I'd hoped. So… feel like tellin' me what happened to you three…?"

"Since you left, as an outsider, it isn't your concern," Pein replied.

"I guess you've changed a lot more than I thought, Nagato…"

Pein wasted no time in summoning a large crab. It spit bubbles that washed over the field and the oil on Konan. Jiraiya retreated to the back wall. Konan also retreated as Pein was about to get serious.

The crab swam through the bubbly foam to attack Jiraiya. Jiraiya countered, "Wild Lion's Mane Technique!"

His hair sprang out and wrapped around the crab, subduing it. His hair tightened until the crab cracked and disappeared in defeat. His hair then turned on Pein himself. It loosely wrapped around him as Jiraiya wanted to ask a few questions…

"Where is Yahiko?"

"Yahiko…? I think I do remember a fellow by that name… He died long ago," he calmly and coldly stated.

"Nagato… did you…? What happened to you?"

"Nothing… just war… Too many people have died here, but their pain is what helped me to grow. Even the most ignorant child will grow up as they learn what pain truly is. It affects them in many ways. What they say, how they think… knowing pain controls it all."

"How can abandoning the love for your friends be the correct way to become an adult? It doesn't seem right to me."

"Sensei… you're still just a man… However, through this never-ending pain, I have grown and evolved into much more…"

"And what is that?"

"A God."

"What?" Jiraiya couldn't believe what he was saying. "Do you really believe that?"

"When one becomes a god, their thoughts and actions become absolute. I wouldn't expect a simple man like you to understand, sensei… Things I couldn't comprehend before are crystal clear now. Also, I've noticed that there are things that I can do now that I could never dream of…"

"You say all this, but what are you trying to accomplish?" Jiraiya questioned.

Pein answered, "I'm going to put an end to this pathetic war-torn world. It will be an act of God."

"What does collecting the tailed-beasts have something to do with this plan?"

"Telling you would mean certain death, but I was planning on killing you anyway… Using the tailed-beasts, I will create a new _'Forbidden_ _Jutsu'_. One that will be capable of destroying a country in its entirety. It will be the ultimate technique… a weapon of unprecedented power and scale."

"How can you think that something like that would stop wars!? It'll just make things worse!" Jiraiya exploded.

"There are disputes all over… What do you think would be the quickest way to resolve them, Jiraiya sensei…?" Jiraiya gritted his teeth as he snarled. Pein gave him his answer, "I will give my ultimate technique to the warring nations, knowing that they will inevitably use it against each other…"

Jiraiya couldn't believe his ears, "What are getting at!?"

"A countless number of people would die instantly, and the survivors would completely be terrified. At that point… the entire world will know what _**true pain**_ is! Fear of even the slightest conflict leading to a horrible annihilation will grow until, eventually, the fighting ceases completely. The world is still in an unbalanced state but is growing more stable. Pain will hasten that process, as it did with me. With the help of '_God'_ guiding it, this world will finally become enlightened and mature."

"So, you want to teach the world what pain is… just to help it grow up faster…!!? How can you think like that!?"

"I'm a god of peace…"

"That's a little funny with the hunt for the hosts of the tailed-beasts, don'tcha think…?" Jiraiya smirked.

"I'm serious, sensei… I--,"

Without warning, Jiraiya's hair turned wild. It sharpened and impaled Pein's body from any and all directions. Jiraiya shifted his gaze over to a tunnel high on the wall, ignoring the thick log in his hair. There, he found Pein, unharmed.

Though without a scratch, Pein would be sure to do more than that to his former sensei. He summoned another creature, a bizarre, giant lizard with a living serpent for a tail, torn wings on its back, and an eye similar to the Rinnegan.

Before stepping into the creature's mouth and disappearing, Pein stated, "To me, you're nothing more than a small existence that will never grow enough to concern me."

Jiraiya laughed at this. If his opponent wanted to talk that way about him and fight with summoning, he would do the same. "A kid like you is a hundred years too early to be saying that I'm small and not a threat! I think that I should warn you… I'm no longer a human either…!" Jiraiya summoned a giant red and black toad in a black robe. Landing on its head, Jiraiya energetically began, "These tears of blood overflow with rage! The Great, Legendary Sage of the famous Three Shinobi Legends of the Leaf! The fearsome demon of the mysterious Mount Myoboku! The Great Master Jiraiya~--!!"

Sudden movements from his giant toad summon caused Jiraiya to lose his balance and fall face first. It apologized for the sudden shift, but he just couldn't help. He was cramping up from trying to stay still for so long. Still face down, Jiraiya was muffled as he cursed for the embarrassing display.

A bit of clarity came through when he loudly, but still muffled, cursed after hearing Pein say, "You're still as easygoing as ever, sensei…"

Jiraiya lifted his face and exclaimed, "That was Mr. Gamaken's fault!! If he hadn't moved around while I was--," He stopped as Pein's summon disappeared, saying, "He's coming…!"

Gamaken raised his shield and spiked, forked staff in preparation. Jiraiya rolled up his sleeves a bit as he bit his wrist and spread the blood. He wiped it on his eyes as a marker of another fight he was getting himself into that he also hoped he would prevail from.

Right away, he decided, "I'll use Hermit Mode…!"

"Are… are you really…?" Gamaken questioned.

"Yep," Jiraiya replied. "I'm summoning _those_ _two_… Could you please try and buy me some time."

"S-sure… Though I'm pretty weak, I'll do my best."

_****Leaf-8-man Squad****_

Naruto and Kiba rushed at Tobi. They attacked from two sides and left him nowhere to retreat to other than backward. Hinata was ready to fire if he came forward. Tobi hesitated on what to do until it was too late. Both Naruto and Kiba reached him. Kiba was going to drill low and Naruto was going to take up high.

Naruto swung his twin katana and Kiba used his "Fang Over Fang" technique, but both missed. They phased right through Tobi. Naruto just narrowly avoided missing his comrade but wasn't as lucky. Kiba's technique connected and forced the two to fall from the tree.

Tobi watched carefully as the two fell. He seemed to take a great interest in Naruto's pain. Blood sputtered from his mouth. With the enemy's focus elsewhere, Hinata let an arrow fly. Without even looking, Tobi somehow avoided the shot by phasing. After the arrow passed through, he realized…

"A Shadow Clone…!" he exclaimed as Naruto came crashing down on him with a Rasengan.

At least, that's what he let everyone believe. Naruto drove his way through the thick branch and the two began falling to the earth. Realizing that he did no damage, Naruto quickened his fall only to pass right through Tobi once again and crash to the ground below…

_****Rain Village****_

"Tch! This guy is annoying…!" Jiraiya stated, frustrated. "Disappearing and attacking from anywhere… With all the various smells around, we'll have to resort to _that_ barrier jutsu if we don't want to be defeated so easily."

Gamaken agreed as Jiraiya jumped and clicked his heels. Upon landing, a field expanded around him and Gamaken to the entire area.

Seeing this, from inside his summon, Pein understood, "I'm sure that this is a type of barrier jutsu that detects even the slightest movement within… In that case…"

Figuring out Jiraiya's barrier, he summoned another creature. This one was a fast moving, three-headed hound. Without pause, it rushed at Jiraiya and Gamaken. Gamaken met it head-on and the two giants then began clashing throughout the area.

After crashing multiple times, Gamaken finally managed to pin the beast. It clawed and bit in an attempt to get free.

"Nicely done," Jiraiya complimented.

"Not really," he denied. "I'm pretty clumsy…"

The hound suddenly stopped growling and yelping. Before their eyes, it split into three separate entities. Like before they turned and attacked the duo. They dodge the first two but were met with the third. Just barely, Gamaken avoided being crunched in its jaws. He grabbed his weapon and began batting them away. The more he did, the more they split into. The numbers were becoming overwhelming.

"Their numbers keep increasing... What kind of monsters are these…!? Where were these things found?"

They just kept coming. As they split into a great multitude of vicious attack dogs, Jiraiya suggested finding a more narrow space to confront them. As they tried to find one, they were chased and hunted all over the place.

Just when they thought that they had found a place to catch a breather, they were quickly found and surrounded. One after another, then simultaneously, they attacked. The odds were greatly against them, and Jiraiya could do nothing more than retreat and keep away from the enemy as long as they could.

"They just keep coming…! I guess we can't run the entire time," Jiraiya figured. "Let's take the fight to them and eliminate as many as we can. It may be the only way."

Gamaken spun on a large pipe to turn and suddenly attack. With his shield, he crashed it into a couple of the attacking mutts, and, with a few good swings, batted several more into the lagging beast.

This bought them some time, but Jiraiya knew that it wouldn't last. He could smell Gamaken's blood and was sure that the hounds could as well. They would be on them in a matter of minutes after recovering. He was correct as he heard distant growls growing larger until they were in sight.

They were cornered, but they wouldn't give-in. "We can't waste our time and energy with these mutts. We have to find some way to get rid of them all." Jiraiya stated.

As the hounds pounced, Gamaken used his own great leaping ability to jump into the sky. On the way up, Jiraiya noticed Pein hidden away. He also noticed another creature. This time, it was a strange-looking bird with a single leg on its back and two normal legs on its front, as well as a drill beak. With great force, it soared right at the duo. Acting quickly, Gamaken raised his shield, but the force of the bird's attack sent them hurtling and crashing to the ground.

Jiraiya had fallen off of Gamaken's head but jumped back on as he got up. He tried to make sense of things. Once again, they were surrounded by the hounds, and, once again, they had to battle their way out. It was hard fought, but they found a place to hide, for the moment.

With a moment of peace, Jiraiya tried to figure out the path the fight had taken. He had trained Nagato in many areas of ninjutsu, and he had mastered them all, but, in this fight, he did nothing but hide and let his summoning do his fighting for him. Jiraiya found this as strange as the creatures he used.

"_Why is he only using summoning?"_ Jiraiya pondered as he was once again surrounded.

The hounds pounced and the duo countered. Jiraiya partially transformed and lashed a few with his spiked tail. Unfortunately, Gamaken wasn't as lucky. Quite a few of the hounds dug their teeth into him. Those Jiraiya had knocked away returned with a vengeance as they joined in. with no choice, Jiraiya gave up on holding his stance. With a quick turnabout, he caused them all to vanish into thin air.

Pein's summon revealed itself as he wondered, "Did he retreat, or is he just trying to recuperate…?"

Without making a sound, Jiraiya and Gamaken attacked from behind. After a hiss from the chameleon's tail, another creature, a bull, was summoned. It caught Gamaken between its horns and pushed him back. Taking this opportunity, Pein disappeared again.

This got Jiraiya wondering, _"Why is he only hiding and using summoning?"_

The bull took the initiative and charged. Gamaken tried to put a stop to this rampaging beast, but it was all he could do to stand his ground. The bull forcefully pushed him back against his will. It pushed until Gamaken's back was nearly against the wall.

At this point, Jiraiya told him, "I'll take it from here, …"

"Alright…"

The bull stumbled forward as Gamaken suddenly vanished in a cloud of smoke. It crashed into the wall and bore through it. Pein was curious about what was up Jiraiya's sleeves. He would find out soon enough.

It strangely became silent… too silent. Then, a lot of noise was raised as the bull was sent crashing through the wall. He then heard voices loudly coming from the newly made tunnel…

"Brat…! Why do ya always hafta summon us in places like this…!? It's no wonder that kid Bunta is always so upset!" a female voice nagged.

"Take it easy, Ma," another voice sounded out. "I'm sure young Jiraiya wouldn't've called us here if he didn't need ta…"

"Oh, quiet, Pa!" she shrilled.

"I'm sorry that it's been a while since we last met… and it had to be here of all times and places," Jiraiya apologized.

"I'm more surprised that'cha wanted ta use this form… I coulda sworn that'cha said that'cha didn't like it 'cause it drove the girls away," the new, old male voice stated.

"Whether I like it or not, I got no choice. Our opponent has the Rinnegan," he mentioned.

"The Sage of Six Paths' eyes…!?"

"Are you sure about this kid?"

"Yep… and I could use your help."

As they emerged from the shadows, Jiraiya's new form was shocking to behold. It could be seen that two frogs, a male and female, Fukasaku and Shima, sat on Jiraiya's shoulders. The old male stated, "In that case… it can't be helped." As they continued out of the tunnel, he continued, "You really should learn ta use Sage Mode on yer own, Jiraiya-boy."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Jiraiya agreed. "But, compared to you two, I'm still just a tadpole with a long way to go.

They leapt out into the open and _"Ma"_ questioned, "So… just where is this guy with tha Sage of Six Paths' eyes…?"

"I don't see anything," Fukasaku said. "I guess our eyes are failin' in our old age…"

"Nah… that isn't it. He's hiding himself inside a summoned animal that can blend in with its surroundings, practically turning invisible," Jiraiya explained.

"A chameleon, huh…?"

While invisible, the chameleon slowly crept a bit closer. Shima formed a hand-seal and stuck out her tongue. It was like another living creature as it sniffed the air. Seemingly finding its target, it shot forth and wrapped around an invisible figure. The position of the chameleon was revealed as Shima spun and slammed it.

With word from _"Ma"_ that she had secured it, _"Pa"_ spit a strong stream of water that cut the chameleon in half. It screeched as it disappeared, leaving Pein to face Jiraiya and the old frogs.

"That's tha Rinnegan, eh…?" Shima figured. "They certainly look like tha ones mentioned in tha legends…"

"It's a shame that _he's_ tha _'destined child'_…"

"_Orochimaru… Jiraiya… Looks like all three of the Leaf's 'Legendary Three' have extremely unique skills."_

"I have a question fer ya, Jiraiya-boy… If ya need us ta fight this guy, what're ya doin' fightin' 'em in the first place?"

"Well, for starters, he's a former student of mine."

This surprised the two frogs. "I ain't heard of no other students of yers! Which means… he's tha '_destined_ _child'_! Why're we fightin' 'em?!"

Jiraiya replied, "It seems… he didn't turn out the way I expected… I also heard rumors that he had died and convinced myself that it wasn't him."

"If he's headed down tha wrong path, then I guess we gotta kill 'em," Fukasaku stated.

Looking at his former student, Jiraiya wondered, _"Toad Sage… has the time for me to make that difficult choice really come?"_

Like throughout the fight so far, Pein called forth more summoning. But this time, they were different from those before. These were people…

"So, I guess you're serious about this…?" Jiraiya stated. "If you're the one who'll bring about the destruction of the world, then, as your teacher… I'll stop you!" he proclaimed.

"Is that so…?"

Both figures summoned stood tall. Jiraiya and the elder frogs were taken aback by the sight. They all looked different, but they all possessed the Rinnegan.

"How can there be three people with the Rinnegan, that's rumored to appear only once at a random point in time?" Jiraiya questioned.

"There must be some kinda trick ta this," Fukasaku guessed.

"And this had ta happen around dinner-time," Shima complained.

"That isn't important now, Ma!"

"What was that…!? Don'tcha _dare_ belittle a housewife's dilemma! If it weren't fer my cookin', you wouldn't eat, and you wouldn't be so _great_ then, would ya…!?" she nagged.

"Don't take that tone with me! There's no need to get so bent outta shape over a missed meal!"

"Bent outta shape…!? Just you wait 'til we get home…! I'll show ya '_bent_ _outta_ _shape'_!"

"Now, now," Jiraiya tried to calm their bickering. "Calm down… We have to focus here."

The two turned to him and exploded, "Don't stick yer big nose in other people's business!!"

"S-… sorry," Jiraiya apologized, ashamed. "A-… anyway… I'd like to make my move now." Jiraiya perked up as he energetically moved about as he said, "Prepare for the full onslaught of my ninjutsu enforced with the ultimate _'Senjutsu'_! Behold the shiny horns as they pierce the glowing halos of the heavenly canopies…! The _**Gallant**_ Jiraiya~--!"

Jiraiya was interrupted once again. This time, it was by the elder frogs as they yelled, "I'm right here! You ain't gotta yell in my ears…!!"

Jiraiya was upset as he thought, _"Why does everyone have to interrupt me when I'm striking my poses…!?"_

"Let's hurry and get this over with," Shima suggested. "I hafta get on dinner…"

Fukasaku was going to say something to this but just let out a frustrated sigh. He knew that she was stubborn and wouldn't let it go. He was as well, but, with the current situation, he had no choice.

One of the figures with the Rinnegan, a guy with extremely long orange hair, quickly reached them, trying to take advantage. Slyly, Jiraiya saw him coming and delivered a devastating kick to him, right into his eyes. The force of the kick sent him cart-wheeling and crashing into the rear wall.

Seeing this display, the first Pein commented, "Nicely done…"

"Now then… I hope we can put the bickering aside for now. We have to take them out!"

"Fine," Shima groaned. "I'll just fry somethin'… Kid, you bring tha oil. Pa, you fan tha flames."

It sounded good to them and they complied. Together, they created a massive wave of hot, boiling oil. They were surprised when the other Pein jumped out front, right into the path of the wave. It engulfed him, but they were even more shocked when it all disappeared without a drop left.

"Somehow, he got rid of the oil…!"

"He couldn't've drank it all, could he…!?" Shima questioned.

"Looks like there's more ta this problem than we originally figured," Fukasaku stated.

Jiraiya kicked off his shoes as now he definitely had to get serious. His form advanced a bit more as his hands and feet grew larger and his teeth sharpened. He exploded from the wall with getting close in mind. Within seconds, he closed the distance and attacked with…

"Massive Rasengan!!"

He palmed a huge sphere of chakra and thrusted it into the face of the fat Pein. He had caught him before he could react… but he absorbed the attack.

Seeing this first-hand, it was concluded that this was how the previous attack was rendered useless.

Fukasaku noticed the other Pein sneaking up and threw a smoke bomb. This way, they could eliminate one before they even realized it…

Jiraiya slipped behind the long-haired Pein and threw a punch but it was dodged. Jiraiya tried a low sweep and followed it with a punch. Upon seeing his sweep avoided, Jiraiya thought, _"He can't see, but somehow he's able to read my attacks…"_

His following punch connected as all the enemy could do was block while in the air. The long-haired Pein was forced from the cloud of smoke. The first Pein was about to storm the cloud but stopped as a figure jumped out. He was surprised to see a toad the size of a person leap out.

Behind him, Jiraiya appeared. His hair stood on end before it rapidly fired in flurry of sharp, needlelike hairs at great speeds.

Another surprise came in the form of a defense. Even though the attack was launched at great speeds, Pein managed to summon a rocky-looking giant panda to take the attack. Both summons then vanished after the exchange.

Jiraiya quickly distanced himself to try and figure out a way to win. _"How can I beat these guys? There isn't a single wasted movement between them… Just now, he couldn't see me behind him, but he avoided my attack by summoning a shield instead of trying to dodge it… How are they doing it? Without any speaking, eye-contact, or any other kind of cues or tips between them… Even if all three are the chakra-sensing types, they shouldn't be able to form such perfect counters without out actually seeing the attack. Of all that I've come across, Naruto is about the only one that's even come close to being able to pull that off…"_ Analyzing them all, the way they stood, their appearances, the way they'd fought so far… Jiraiya said, "They're no ordinary clones, if even that."

"I think I figured their trick," Fukasaku quietly said. He explained, "When we attacked from behind earlier, we were in their blind spots… but tha whole time, tha others were watchin' us very carefully. They didn't make a sound or anything ta try an' warn 'em, but still… I'm thinkin' it might be their eyes! That's why they all have tha same eyes. If all three of 'em are watchin' tha same target…"

"Then all three can see the same image even if they aren't looking directly at it," Jiraiya finished.

"That's what I suspect," Fukasaku said.

"If that's the case, then what… are they?"

A sudden slow motion caught their eyes. From their sleeves, the enemies slipped out black rods. Jiraiya wondered what they were exactly. He also wondered how he was going to defeat these guys if his ninjutsu was useless. Fukasaku figured the same and suggested that they fell back to think of a plan. Jiraiya's "dragon" blood was boiling. The fight was starting to excite him a little and he wanted to see it through, but Fukasaku's wise words got through. Using smoke as a diversion, he disappeared into the pipes. Not wanting him to get away, the Peins gave pursuit.

While Jiraiya did the legwork, Fukasaku focused on figuring out a strategy to use against the enemy. First thing was first, he had to make sense of what was going on. "They may look different on tha surface, but they all have tha Sage of Six Paths' Rinnegan."

Jiraiya chimed in, "But… even if one of them _is_ Nagato… from what I've heard, I can't believe that there's more than one Rinnegan user running around today… What's going on here exactly?! How is it possible?!"

"That ain't important right now…! No matter how impossible it may seem, we got three people with tha Rinnegan ta deal with!"

"Just what _**is**_ Pein?"

"Dunno yet… but give me some time, an' I'll have that fella figured out," Fukasaku assured.

_****Leaf 8-man Squad****_

Hinata was beginning to get worried. Naruto crashed to the earth for what seemed to be after an unbelievable number of times. She was about to rush to his side but Sakura assured her that he was more than okay. She was sure that she was right, but she still couldn't help but want to check on him.

She resisted as Yamato stated, "He's been seeing through all of our attacks so far… It's like he's just messing around with us…"

"But why…?" Kakashi questioned.

"Could he just be stalling us…?" Shino stated.

"That must be it. This entire time, he's done nothing but get in our way instead of trying to take Naruto, even though he had many opportunities to do so… He's must be trying to keep us from interfering with Sasuke or Itachi," Kakashi noted.

"Then, what do we do?" Kiba asked.

"He can't stop us all! Everyone… scatter!"

With an explosion coming from the water, Tobi was distracted. The Leaf shinobi took this chance to try and get by. Tobi was taken aback by their tenacity. He disappeared and reappeared to cut them off and turn them back. It was then that he saw Naruto blow by them all. Tobi hurried to cut him off as well. He appeared before him, but Naruto didn't slow down. He was gonna run right through him one way or another.

"EEEYAAH!" Tobi yelled as Naruto barreled right at him.

In a clumsy reaction, Tobi thrusted his arms forward and pushed Naruto back with great force. So much that he actually crashed into a tree. To Tobi's surprise, it turned out to be…

"A Shadow Clone…!?"

_****Rain Village****_

Jiraiya's opponents were trailing him when they heard what could only be described as frogs croaking or singing. They followed it deeper into the pipes. In the far back, they finally found their target. They began slipping black rods from their robes as they quickly approached.

The fat Pein stopped and turned back as he noticed another Jiraiya attacking…

"Ninja Art: Scorching Dragon's Den!!"

The fat Pein tried furiously to absorb all of the fire blown their way. This played right into Jiraiya's hand. He figured that each Pein had a specific type of trick up each of their sleeves. One would summon and this one in particular seemed to be able to absorb all ninjutsu. With the fat one's sight focused on the fire and one that was blinded, there was only one that could actually see.

Jiraiya blew another large flame that swept through the pipes. Both of the approaching Pein continued onward and leapt up high to avoid the fire. As one made contact with the ceiling, he began sinking into it. "Earth Style: Dark Swamp!"

The first Pein bounced off of him and into a kick from Jiraiya. He wouldn't give him the chance to summon anything more. This kick was enough to buy the frogs time to lock him in their genjutsu before he even finished skipping across the side wall of the pipe.

With the genjutsu taking effect, leaving them defenseless, the first Pein stated, "You got me…"

"You're in a genjutsu that paralyzes your nerves and mind," Jiraiya explained. "None of you can freely move around anymore."

Jiraiya thought back to when they devised this plan…

_**Flashback**_

"_All three of 'em share tha same field of vision," Fukasaku brought up. "This way, they can see from each other's vantage point… That seems to be one of their eyes' powers." He continued, "Basically, it's like lookin' at a video from three different camera angles. You can see everything tha cameras see all at once." _

_Shima noted, "So, if one of 'em can see tha target, tha other three can as well, even if it ain't directly in their line a sight…? That must be how they're attackin' an' defendin' with such perfect timin'."_

_Fukasaku elaborated, "Their field of vision's three times better than a normal person's… An', unlike the Byakugan, they can cover fer each other's blind spots without wastin' time formin' seals or chakra… That's one helluva combination."_

"_Then, our best bet is to split them up," Jiraiya joined. "I'm sure I can win if I can take them out one by one… but… I doubt it'll be easy to separate them…" _

"_I'm sure they'll stick ta combination attacks like they been doin'," Fukasaku said. _

_Jiraiya came back, "That's what I had to go through with the one that summoned. He must've been watching me through the creatures he summoned. That's why they had the same eyes… Now it's the same as it was then. One of them alone is quite a handful, but all three at once…Taijutsu is outta the question with them watching each other's back, and my ninjutsu is useless because the fat one keeps absorbing it…" _

_Fukasaku came up with something. "If neither of those is cuttin' it, then all's that's left is genjutsu." _

_Jiraiya protested, "But I've never really been very good with genjutsu myself… Even if Hermit Mode does boost my abilities, it probably won't be very effective…" _

"_That's the point. If he used ta be yer pupil, then, chances are, he knows that'cha don't use it. That could be a huge advantage for us, with me an' Ma here." _

"_No way!" Shima protested. "I ain't doin' it!" The two tried to find out what was bugging her, and she told them, "I can't sing no duet with Pa at my age now! It's too embarrassin'!" she blushed. _

"_A… duet…?" Jiraiya inquired. _

_Fukasaku explained, "Our most potent genjutsu is a song. It attacks the victim's brain through their sense of hearin'." Jiraiya now understood, and Fukasaku went on to say, "Since it uses sound, it gives away our position. On top of that, it can only take full effect when we combine our voices in tha right melody, and that takes time when it's been a while since we last did it… If they find us before we get it just right, they'll be eatin' frog legs fer dinner. However, if we get 'em before we're found, there's no way we'll lose." _

_Jiraiya took it all in and said, "If things get outta hand, I want you two to get out of here and get to safety immediately." _

_The two elder frogs wouldn't have it, Fukasaku more so than Shima. The fate of the world was depending on the outcome of this fight. They would see it through to the end, hopefully not theirs. With their rock-hard determination set in place, all they needed now was a good plan. Fortunately, Jiraiya had one… _

_**End of Flashback**_

"Jiraiya sensei… I never thought you were capable of using such incredible genjutsu.

"You can never let your guard down, no matter who your opponent is," Jiraiya responded. "You went down the wrong path, Nagato… I had hoped that you would rise above the pain of the world and harness your power to bring about peace in a positive way… not bringing it about by trying to lead the world to ruin.

"_This pupil will begin a great revolution, the likes of which the shinobi world has never seen… either by peace or destruction,"_ Jiraiya recalled the Great Toad Sage telling him so many years ago. "For a little while… I believed you were the one…… Goodbye…"

In reality, each Pein groaned and grimaced as Jiraiya drove three large stone swords through their bodies. With a sigh of relief, he stated, "It's finally over…"

As he headed towards the light to get some much needed fresh air, the frogs on his shoulders felt the same as they began coughing and hacking.

"I'm sorry, you two… You can rest with ease now… I've finally made my decision--," he stopped as he sensed that something was askew. His sensitive ears picked up on movement coming from behind him…

His suspicions were confirmed when he heard a voice say, "Didn't you just remind me… not to drop my guard… Jiraiya sensei…?"

Jiraiya quickly reacted but only got a glimpse of the Rinnegan as he was blown away and out of the tunnel. He skimmed over the top of the water below before he finally got his bearings. Just then, Shima pointed out that half of Jiraiya's arm was missing.

As bodies in black and red Akatsuki robes sprang from the tunnel soon after, Jiraiya noted, "There are new faces among them this time. He must've summoned them before--," Jiraiya grimaced before he could finish.

Fukasaku realized what he was thinking and finished, "Before we caught 'em in our genjutsu…!!"

Now standing before them, on an elevated plane, stood six orange-haired Akatsuki with black piercings and each wielding the Rinnegan, including the three that Jiraiya and his frogs could've sworn that they had eliminated.

"What in tarnation is goin' on?!" Fukasaku exclaimed.

"Can they not die?" Jiraiya questioned.

They then heard them announce, "It's time… for you to witness the godly powers of the _'Six Paths of Pein'_!"

* * *

**End of chapter…**

Jiraiya's battle with the Akatsuki's leader, Pein, is more of a handful than he originally thought…

Making his decision, Jiraiya knows that he can't turn back now, for the sake of the world, especially his…

Next chapter: The last time I'll see you…


	19. The Last Time in Your Eyes

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap: **

Jiraiya's search for the elusive leader of Akatsuki, Pein, concludes in success. Formerly knowing one another in a past life, and forseeing a future problem with the Leaf's legendary hermit, Pein seeks to eliminate him. The _"two"_battle it out, displaying godly powers and abilities, but only one will walk away as the victor...

* * *

**The Last Time in Your Eyes**

Tsunade stood looking out of the window in her Hokage office. To both Shizune and Yuuki, she said, "This storm just won't let up. It seems that these bad omens just keep coming…"

She thought back to many of her teacups cracking, accidentally crushing and spilling her sake bottle, and, most odd and frightening of all, so far, Yuuki had been unenergetic and well-behaved. It all made her feel uneasy, but she tried to put it at the back of her mind.

"I'm sure Master Jiraiya is fine," Shizune assured. "He's just as strong as you, so--,"

Tsunade interrupted, "He won't be coming back…"

"What are you saying?!!" Yuuki exploded. "My grandpa is the strongest--!"

"That's what I bet on," Tsunade stated. "I never win my bets," she turned and said with a smile.

This also brought a smile to both her assistant and Jiraiya's granddaughter. Although she had said this to reassure everyone in the room, including herself, Tsunade's uneasy feelings continued to flourish. She hoped that it would be the usual and things could go back to normal, but without any recent communication from Jiraiya, she couldn't be certain that things would end so happily.

She thought of their last conversation and said to herself, "That guy… I won't let him keep his cool when he returns…"

_****Rain Village****_

"Pein… just what are you?" Jiraiya questioned.

All of this was confusing. There were now three more who possessed the Rinnegan, along with the three that had been defeated. Somehow, they had come back to life, but how? This was Jiraiya and his frogs' question.

"The name _'Pein'_ is shared by all of us," the young spiky-haired one stated.

Jiraiya thought, _"Are there really six Rinnegan bearers…? How did they all end up together with such a purpose as 'bringing the world to its knees'?"_ He took the time to get a good look at them all, and one stood out among them, "It… it can't be… That… that face…! You-… you're… Y-Yahiko?! Bu-… but how? I thought he was supposed to be dead…! And… how does he have those eyes?! Don't tell me…!"

"You can still see Yahiko in me?" the young spiky-haired Pein stated. "How funny… I suppose it makes sense. Only his former sensei would be able to recognize what's left of him." He then went on to say, "But, make no mistake, Yahiko has been dead for some time now. The man you see standing before you now is Pein, no one else."

"Cut that shit out!" Jiraiya exploded. "Tell me why you have the Rinnegan!" The elder frogs didn't understand where this conversation was going. Jiraiya explained, "Yahiko… was another one of my students… but, at the time, he didn't have the Rinnegan when I trained him…"

"That don't sound right…! There can't possibly be _two_ _'children of destiny'_, can there be?!" Shima questioned.

Things weren't adding up, even before, but now… things were just too off the charts. He evaluated and calculated everything that had gone on in this fight. He knew for certain that the first time he had ever seen the legendary Rinnegan was with Nagato and convinced himself that the first Pein he saw was him. But, before him, stood six men who possessed the very same eyes Nagato once had, but Jiraiya hadn't recognized any of them as him. The only one he absolutely recognized was the one that resembled Yahiko, but it was confusing as to why _he_ also possessed the legendary eye. The only thing that came to his mind that made sense at the moment was that Yahiko had, for some unknown reason, killed Nagato and took his eyes. If that was the case, he had been wrong all along about Nagato being behind it all… but why had they said that Yahiko was dead on numerous occasions?

"Which one are you, Nagato or Yahiko?"

"We are Pein… We are God!" they proclaimed as they launched into their assault.

"Retreat, Jiraiya-boy!"

He didn't have enough time. Jiraiya blocked with his one arm as a few of them stomped over him. They now had them surrounded. 12 intimidatingly menacing glares were focused on him and the frogs on his shoulders. Callously, they slow advanced on the small team of Toad Sages. Without a single sound of warning, the first attacked.

Even with his heightened hearing, Jiraiya just barely heard the steps across the water coming towards him. He turned and ducked the "summoning" Pein's blade. This was followed by all but one attacking with punches and kicks. It was all the sages could do to keep from being dog-piled on.

Jiraiya couldn't let this continue on. He had to go on the offensive or retreat. Seeing as to how they wouldn't allow him to get away alive, probably even if he were dead as well, Jiraiya had no choice.

He quickly pulled a kunai to block the "summoning" Pein's blade and threw it into the bald Pein's chest, momentarily stopping him. The fat Pein came at him next but was easily turned away with a kick. The Pein with the long straight hair proved to be more troublesome in this area. With one arm, Jiraiya was having a tough time matching him in a taijutsu exchange. Fukasaku tried to help by throwing a rock at him unexpectedly, but he dodged and knocked Jiraiya backward.

Not fretting, Jiraiya used this gained momentum to try and land a punch to the Yahiko-looking Pein. "How can you possess Nagato's eyes, Yahiko?!"

He blocked with two hands and stated, "Even if you knew that, you couldn't _win_…!"

Jiraiya was blown away by some unknown force at this point. He regained his composure and landed on the wall. He was then greeted with rockets from the bald Pein. Jiraiya jumped away and into the water. The Pein continued to fire rockets, causing the water to angrily toss and bloat as several explosions occurred underneath.

The force of the explosions blew Jiraiya out of the water. He scanned their positions quickly and noticed that one had gone missing. The long-haired Pein pounced on him. Acting quickly, Jiraiya, with one hand, swiftly cycled through hand-seals…

"Dragon Flame!"

He sent him splashing into the water in a fiery crash. They were surprised that he was able to still utilize ninjutsu in his condition. But that wasn't all…

"Dragons' Wrath!!"

A large blast of red chakra was directed at the Yahiko Pein. It was shocking to see that this powerhouse of an attack was defeated by an unknown force that seemed to spring up around him.

Seeing an opening, more rockets were fired his way. Jiraiya spread his wings and used great agility to avoid being blown to bits and pieces. He tried again to take one of the Peins out, but his "Dragon Wave" was absorbed by the fat Pein.

Jiraiya's focus then shifted to the oldest looking Pein. From what he could tell, he brought the Pein he burnt back to life with some strange _"thing"_ at his side. Distracted, Jiraiya suddenly felt himself being pulled in the direction of his enemies. Try as he may, it was pointless. He was pulled within range and felt a sharp pain as something pierced his body. Soon after, he felt more of the same sensations. He looked down to see six rods entering and exiting his body. He coughed up blood and, with another strange sensation felt, he went up in smoke.

"A Shadow--," the Pein with the ponytail couldn't finish as he was pulled underwater.

This Pein was dragged through the wetness of the water but stopped in a dry place, more or less. There was a foul stench coming from the acid in the toad's stomach. To keep from sinking in, he leapt to safety… or so he thought.

Jiraiya swung through and connected with a Rasengan. He was relieved to see him splash into the acid. He took a moment to catch his breath and analyze what had been going on.

Right as he was about to begin, he was suddenly attacked by a melting Pein. He stabbed and pierced the unsuspecting Jiraiya through the arm before collapsing. Jiraiya fell back, wincing in pain.

He noticed a couple of the black rods melting into black liquid as Shima questioned, "Is he… dead?"

"I just barely managed to get one of them… but only after dragging him into my barrier," Jiraiya stated.

He was then knocked on his butt by the same unusual sensation his Shadow Clone had experienced up above. Seeing him in pain, Fukasaku acted quickly to find the problem and the solution. He broke the blade rod from Pein's hand and pulled it out of Jiraiya's arm.

"Wha-… what… was that? For a moment there… my chakra went crazy," Jiraiya wondered, shocked at what he had just experienced.

"This is all just crazy," Fukasaku commented. "Their identities are a mystery, and they use strange weapons."

Jiraiya's body trembled as it was ridden with pain. He tried his best to ride it out and figure things out. He thought and evaluated everything he had come across since he came to the Rain Village. How did it all tie in with the Akatsuki and the mystery that is Pein?

Through his pain and half closed eyes, Jiraiya watched as Pein's headband fell off. It was then that things began to piece together. Seeing the scar on the Pein's forehead, Jiraiya immediately recognized him as a shinobi he once came across in his travels… after being told of the prophecy…

_****Team Hebi****_

Juugo was beginning to worry, and Karin was getting annoyed. Suigetsu had started a fight with Kisame, who barred their way, but he hadn't made any progress. If anything, he was being shown that he was "out of his league".

Since a win seemed too farfetched with the way things were going, Karin considered making a break for it the first chance she got. Although she thought of this, she wasn't completely sure that it would be a good idea to try it… at least not herself.

Karin slunk back to Juugo and whispered her plan to him. He also had his doubts that it would work, but Karin insisted that it had to be done. Although Sasuke wanted to do it on his own, it probably wasn't the brightest idea to take on an S-ranked criminal in the Akatsuki. Seeing her side of it, Juugo agreed to go along. The first chance that they got, they would try and get by their guard.

Learning from his mistakes, Suigetsu made sure not to allow Kisame to cut him down with his sword. Instead, he dodged it and attempted to chop Kisame's head clean off. With relative ease, and quickness, Kisame brought Samehada up to block Suigetsu's blade.

This was the moment they were waiting for. Juugo and Karin made a move to blow by their guard, Karin making sure that Juugo went first. She had bluffed and Juugo tried to get past Kisame at full speed.

Seeing this, Kisame flashed a smile only he could. He overpowered Suigetsu and knocked him away before intercepting Juugo. Kisame raised his sword over his head and swung downward, batting Juugo back to the ground. While in the air, he noticed that Karin had slipped by.

Feeling that she was off scot-free, Karin relaxed a little. The edge was off until she noticed chakra coming her way. She stopped and ducked immediately, avoiding having her head taken off by a strong stream of water like the now broken tree before her.

In a panic, she was going to try and risk getting away by weaving between the trees and hoping that Kisame's aim was horrible. Before she could get moving, the water that had been used came together and formed another grinning Kisame. She then heard a couple of loud crashes before Kisame landed behind his Water Clone.

"If that's how it's gonna be… then I guess I can't have any fun without taking my eyes off of you," he said. After Juugo and Suigetsu arrived at her side, he went on to calmly, yet menacingly, say, "The next one of you that try to get by me, I'll slowly shave your arms and legs so that you're no longer any trouble."

_****Rain Village****_

Jiraiya had realized that the one before him definitely was not Nagato. He had been a, what he thought at the time, random ninja that he had come across and had a brief conflict with.

"I began travelling after taking the Great Sage's advice… It was right after I'd set out when this guy from the Fuuma Clan tried to ambush me," he pointed to the downed Pein. "Because of that, I ended up leaving that scar on his forehead. He definitely didn't have the Rinnegan either."

"Then… what's all this mean?" Shima questioned.

"It seems that tha more we learn about this _'Pein'_, tha more confusing things wind up," Fukasaku stated.

He figured that, if this was the case, then what did that mean about the others? He wasn't sure, so he decided that he needed to have another look to see if he could finally get a better grasp on things.

"If the prophecy was true… then… I have to know the truth… I have to face them again. I can't allow you two to be caught up in this mess and hurt… so I ask that you return home."

The two elders were shocked and appalled. There was no way that they were turning back now. They had gotten involved and come too far to run away. If Jiraiya wanted them to get to safety, then he would have to come along and they could figure things out from there, but they weren't going to leave him to face this alone.

"Well… it's just that… if I leave this barrier, I can't be certain that I'd last long… but it's also a one-in-a-million chance to finally figure out the truth. No one may ever get this close again, especially if I run away… And, besides… it seems that this is right in line with the Great Sage's prophecy. I have to ask you two, if I don't survive this, I would like for you to deliver this body and what you've witnessed in this fight back to the Leaf Village."

Fukasaku responded, "If that's all, Ma can handle that…"

She responded, "I'll do it, but ya'd better not be late fer dinner. You too, lad."

Jiraiya faintly smiled and nodded…

A frog skulked about at the bottom of the water before easily making its way upward. From within, it spit out Jiraiya and Fukasaku before disappearing itself. Jiraiya made his way to the surface, careful not to make a sound.

There, he found that all the bodies of Pein seemed to be searching for him. Fukasaku summoned a large shuriken that was hurled at the bald Pein. Surprisingly, although not as much as usual, he ducked without even seeing it coming his way.

Once it missed, Jiraiya's location was known to all of the remaining Peins. Jiraiya was sure to get a good look at all of their faces this time, _"I… knew it! They're all shinobi I've met before!"_

As they pounced and he got out of the way, Jiraiya pieced all the information he gathered together. _"That's it! I've figured out who Pein really is!"_

He was about to announce it so that Fukasaku could know as well, but one of the Peins crushed his throat. As if that wasn't enough, his body was pierced by more of those strange black rods.

After a long struggle, it seemed that this fight has finally come to an end…

The five Pein stood over a defeated Jiraiya after stabbing him in the back. Although he was in bad shape, he wasn't dead yet. Of all things, he felt that it was of utmost importance that he somehow get the identity of Pein to Fukasaku so that he could get it back to the Leaf.

Fukasaku tried his best to get Jiraiya to hang on. Hearing him trying to revive Jiraiya's spirit, the eerily smiling Pein pulled a rod from Jiraiya's back. He was about to stab him next when he was the one stabbed instead. He looked down in time to see his foot blown off. He stumbled into the water.

Seeing that he still had a little life left, Fukasaku tried to slap a little more into him. Try as he may, Jiraiya couldn't express what he wanted to say.

As he struggled to even get off of his belly, Jiraiya could feel his strength leave him. _"I… I don't… I don't think… I have anything left… Am I… dying? Have I… failed…?"_ The light in his eyes were dimming. As it faded, Jiraiya recapped on his life. _"The true measure of a shinobi is not how he lives but how he dies… It's not what they do in life but what they did before dying that proves their worth. Thinking back on it, my story is one of many failures… I never ended up with the woman I truly wanted… I found love with a great woman, only for her to want nothing to do with me… I couldn't save my friend… and I failed in protecting both my master and my student… Compared to the great __Hokages who came before me, all of my accomplishments are insignificant…__ just like my death will be…"_

Jiraiya once again flopped to the ground. He no longer had anything left and, soon, his time would be up. Fukasaku tried all he could to get the young "tadpole" back to his feet. When he couldn't, he decided to try and get him some space to breath and recover. The surrounding enemies, however, showed no concern with and stood idly by to see if this truly was the end of the "Gallant Jiraiya".

As Jiraiya's flame of life flickered in the wind, the wisp of it continued to flash before his eyes. _"I had figured that my life would've ended long ago. I never thought that I'd end up a fossil in the world of today… I lived believing that my shortcomings were just amusing distractions that would build character… that, in the end, it would all amount to some great deed that would wipe the slate clean of all my failures… that I would be able to have one last brew-ha-ha of an adventure… and die after becoming recognized as a splendid shinobi…! Heh… I was passionate and sure that's how things would turn out, but this… wasn't quite how I figured it would turn out… According to the 'Great Toad Sage', I was supposed to 'raise' a 'revolutionary' that would someday affect the entire shinobi world. I figured that this guy would lead it to prosperity not destruction… I decided to try and stop him but just added to my already long list of failures. How pathetic… This definitely wasn't how I envisioned the 'Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya' ending. Writing this story has been nothing but a waste of time…"_

Jiraiya had given up on everything, including his life. He had no choice but to accept the inevitable. This was how it would all come to an end. The last time that he would get to see his family and the friends he had made over his lifetime would be in the last moments of his pitiful life…

He remembered Hitomi and the family he had started with her. He would never forget how she had taken a shine to him after he proved how strong and great a shinobi he was. From that moment on, he became hers, whether he liked it or not. He thought of Tsunade and what could have been, what could have been different about his life if his feelings hadn't failed to reach her. He then thought of his grandchildren and the origin of their names. Minato and Kushina both had read the novel of his very own adventures and took a liking to how it was presented. It was like the main character, Naruto, was like the legendary hermit of the Leaf and, yet, someone of remarkable courage and determination. With Jiraiya's blessing, they had the name of their very first child. They hoped that he would become similar to Jiraiya because he was, "A man with true skill… An example that everyone should follow". At the time, they had no idea that there would be a second. Once seeing how their surprising new baby girl gently radiated, Kushina came up with the name Yuuki, in hopes that she would be a top-notch kunoichi that wouldn't let any male shinobi put her down while maintaining the elegant, beautiful deadliness it meant to be a great kunoichi in the world.

A weak smile came to Jiraiya's face as he thought of how she got the elegant and beautiful parts right, but the deadliness still needed work. Even though she would put up a front, Yuuki was one of the kindest and gentlest souls he knew, given her life as both a member of the "beast-warriors" and host of the most dangerously frightening tailed-beast that he'd ever seen. Although she truly was gentle, that would all change if her dearest brother was threatened. Her bond with her brother was strong, and there was nothing in the entire world that could break it. This, at least, gave Jiraiya a bit of hope that things wouldn't be so terrible. At least his grandchildren would have each other. As long as they did, neither would give up on their lives or that of anyone else in need.

Jiraiya's eyes shot open. He began coughing up blood as he tried to get back to his feet. As he continued to fight for his life, he thought, _"Never going back on your word… never giving up… Naruto… if that's your 'ninja way', then, as your mentor, I have no business whining. Everyone knows that a student inherits his ninja way from his teacher…!"_

Pein, the collective group, and Fukasaku were all surprised that Jiraiya had managed to survive on the brink of death. They had walked away but saw that he was not yet done.

Infusing his finger with chakra, Jiraiya called Fukasaku closer. He began writing on his bare back. Pein could not allow this. They dashed to reach the two in time to see to it that whatever message Jiraiya had in mind would not see the light of day.

Jiraiya's body shook as he finished. Fukasaku was about to disappear, but Pein reached them, ready to stab both to death.

In another surprising turn-of-events, Jiraiya seemingly sprang back to life as he blew them all away with punches and kicks. With space, all were surprised to see him take a dragon stance. He stepped into a left hook stance, brought his right palm down, and what was left of his left arm up.

Fukasaku was amazed to see that he still had some fight left in him, but he was glad nonetheless. With a farewell nod from Jiraiya, Fukasaku disappeared.

"_Normally… I wouldn't mind dying in a battle, but… for my grandchildren's sake… I don't really want to. If I did, I'd regret it because I wouldn't be able to see how things turn out for them… Never give up… That was the choice I had to make!" _

It was a disappointment to Pein. They weren't sure, but had a hunch of what the message Jiraiya sent was. It was unfortunate. Jiraiya was already going to die, but this just put them in a precarious position. They were about to pounce on him, but…

"Heh…! I guess if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself," a voice caught everyone's attention.

Jiraiya was shocked, surprised, stupefied, and speechless when he laid his eyes on the scarred man, thinking, _"Y-… you…! It can't be!"_ Realizing his situation and condition, Jiraiya smiled as he figured, _"I'm sorry… Naruto… Yuuki…… Tsunade… Maybe I won't be returning after all… If that's the case... I leave the rest… to you…!"_

_****Leaf 8-man Squad****_

Naruto was in the clear, but something caught his attention. The momentary distraction was costly. Tobi appeared before him on smacked him back. As Naruto, the real one, crashed back into the forest, he seriously stated, "What's a kid like you think he's capable of…? You aren't getting by me."

His tone of voice changed dramatically from before. It came as a shock to the Leaf shinobi. Just who was this guy?

Seeing Naruto smashed through several trees, Hinata began to worry even more. She really wanted to make sure he was alright to put her mind at rest, but Sakura reassured her that Naruto was a tough cookie that wouldn't crumble no matter how much force was used to crush him. All she needed to do was have a little faith in him.

Hinata already knew that, but she couldn't help but worry. Her fears were put to rest once Naruto forced himself from under a pile of broken trees, grunting and fiercely growling...

_****The Uchiha Hideout****_

The brothers meet at the Uchiha hideout, prepared for their final encounter…

Sasuke arrived at the desired meeting place, the Uchiha hideout. There, he found Itachi sitting on a throne. He greeted, "It seems that the target has come to the hunter."

"Itachi," Sasuke snarled.

"Tell me, little brother… what do you see with that sharingan you're so proud of?" Itachi asked.

"What do I see, Itachi…? With the power I've gained, I see very clearly…" Ominously, Sasuke responded, "Your death!"

* * *

**End of chapter…**

Jiraiya fights to his last breath only for it to be taken away by a surprise arrival…

He managed to get a much needed message to his comrades, but, just as things seemingly end with him, things are just beginning with the Uchiha brothers…

Next chapter: Resounding conflict…


	20. Final Confrontation

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap:**

Jiraiya fights to his last breath only for it to be taken away by a surprise arrival. He fought with all he could, unsure of what outcomes may occur, but managed to get a much needed message to his comrades. Just as things seemingly end with him, things were just beginning with the Uchiha brothers…

* * *

**Final Confrontation**

Tsunade had to get out of the office. She couldn't get any work done because, even though she wouldn't admit it, she was greatly worried about Jiraiya. While walking around the village, greeting all she came across, Tsunade stopped near a pond. She stood overlooking it as the wind coolly kissed her cheek.

Just then, a sudden splash caught her attention. She looked to see a small frog making its way to land. As it exited the water, it stopped near where she stood and let out a light croak.

Tsunade couldn't take her eyes off of it. In a way, it reminded her of Jiraiya. Tsunade stood still in hopes of not scaring it away so that she could carefully watch it. She was surprised when it suddenly leapt back into the pond. The reason became evident as a bird swooped down, narrowly missing snatching up the amphibian.

Tsunade's eyes shifted to the pond as the frog splashed down. The water rippled, slowly spreading across the way. Tsunade couldn't believe it, but she could swear that she could see Jiraiya's smiling face in the water. Was this a sign? Her eyes widened as yet another amphibian exploded from the pond…

_****The Uchiha Hideout****_

The brothers meet at the Uchiha hideout, prepared for their final encounter…

Sasuke arrived at the desired meeting place, the Uchiha hideout. There, he found Itachi sitting on a throne. He greeted, "It seems that the target has come to the hunter."

"Itachi," Sasuke snarled.

"Tell me, little brother… what do you see with that sharingan you're so proud of?" Itachi asked.

"What do I see, Itachi…? With the power I've gained, I see very clearly…" Ominously, Sasuke responded, "Your death!"

_****Leaf-8-man Squad****_

Naruto thought that he felt something. This momentary distraction costed him as he was once again smacked and bizarrely sent crashing to the ground.

"Serves ya right! Now, get your head outta your ass!" Kiba criticized.

He and everyone else were surprised that Naruto hadn't made the usual reaction of either returning the verbal jabs to Kiba or charging Tobi once more. Instead, they found him sitting quietly and strangely focusing on something other than the current situation. They watched him carefully as he sat silent for a few minutes, unusual darkness creeping about, and then… he vanished.

"What happened?" everyone questioned.

"_Naruto..."_ Sakura and Kakashi thought.

Naruto found himself, although he didn't realize it at the time, in the Rain Village. He arrived on the scene of what looked like a horrible event. He was in shock at the appearance of the site. Just about everything had been demolished.

He searched around the area before the smell of blood caught his attention. It wasn't just any blood. He recognized this specific scent…

"Grandpa…!"

He followed the scent to find an even more horrifying sight…

"Oh… I wasn't expecting for another one to show up here… So… how ya doin'… hatchling?" the scarred man greeted upon seeing Naruto.

Naruto's body trembled with anger. Before his blue eyes, Naruto was to witness his sensei, his mentor, his role-model, his _grandfather_ terribly burned and scarred himself as he laid in a pool of his own blood surrounded by five men, other than the scarred man, in Akatsuki cloaks.

The five turned and shifted their focus. "The Nine-tails's host," the youngest-looking stated. "It's so convenient… We didn't have to come searching for you after all…"

_****Uchiha hideout****_

A fly on the wall, Zetsu remained hidden as he showed up to watch what he felt would be an interesting matchup…

"What's going on? They're just standing around. I thought you said that this would be interesting," the white half complained.

The black half explained, "_No… they're actually in deep battle. They're both Sharingan users. Genjutsu is a specialty of the Sharingan_."

"Oh, is that it," the other half responded. They watched quietly for a couple more minutes before he came back, "This is boring to watch! Do something already!"

"_Quiet…!" the other grunted. "Something's happening_…"

In the Uchiha brothers' genjutsu battle, the two were not only exchanging blows but information…

"So… you're going to kill the third Sharingan user…?" Itachi stated. "It may be possible to defeat Madara Uchiha… if you can defeat me first…"

"Am I supposed to know who this guy is!? Are you saying that, of the two of you, you're stronger?" Sasuke questioned.

"What I'm saying is that, although he was the first to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan and one of the founding fathers, Madara is a former shell of himself…"

"Founding father…? Don't fuck around! There's no way someone like that could still be living!"

"Oh, but I assure… Madara is very much alive. Whether you believe me or not is up to you."

"Cut the bullshit! Tell me the truth!"

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke… Don't you know…? People live their lives bound by what they _accept_ as correct and true. That's how they define _'reality'_. But what does it mean to be _'correct'_ or _'true'_…? Are they merely vague concepts if their _'reality'_ is all a mirage…? Can we consider them to simply be living in their own little world, shaped by their beliefs…?"

"Just what're you getting at?"

"Like the way you just decided that I was lying when I said that Madara was alive… Like the way you believed the way your relationship with anyone was up to this point, especially myself…"

Sasuke started, "I was young, so I believed that that horrible night was nothing more than a nightmare. I wanted to believe it wasn't real, and that I was trapped in someone's cruel genjutsu…… But it _**did**_ happen! _**That**_ was reality!" with Itachi's smirk, Sasuke continued, "My eyes are wide open now! My sharingan sees right through your genjutsu! I'll definitely kill you!"

Itachi scoffed, "How familiar… You get angry and shout threats at me, although, I suppose that they aren't just words this time… Playtime is over."

Itachi's sharingan changed to that of the Mangekyou Sharingan as he locked them on his little brother…

_****Leaf-8-man Squad****_

"What kind of game should we play now, Leaf-peoples?" Tobi bizarrely asked.

"Wh-… Where's Naruto?" Hinata questioned.

"What is that knucklehead thinking disappearing at a time like this!? Where did he go?" Kiba followed.

"It shouldn't be a shock that he's so unpredictable," Shino reasoned.

"I-… I get it, but you'd think he'd at least give us a heads up or something. We _are_ on his side after all," Kiba said.

"We don't have time to worry about Naruto at this time!" Kakashi mentioned.

"Bu-… but…"

"I'm sure he's fine. Right now, we have our own problems. If we're going to follow our objective to get to Sasuke, we have to get by this guy first!"

"Right!" Team 8 focused.

"_What __are__ you doing, Naruto?"_Sakura wondered.

_****Rain Village****_

Naruto grinded his teeth as he angrily stared into everyone's strange eyes. He was about to lose it until he heard a few coughs from the fallen Jiraiya.

"What did you allow to happen to you this time, ya crazy old perv!?"

Jiraiya was unresponsive. The only other sign that he was still alive was his back momentarily going up and down. He was at least breathing.

Naruto's gaze shifted back to the surrounding enemies as the same guy said, "Now… come to us…"

He placed his hand out, and Naruto felt a strange sensation. It was as if some force was drawing him towards the Akatsuki. Naruto acted quickly and wrapped his tails around whatever structure was closest to resist. It worked temporarily, but it felt like Naruto's tails were painfully being removed from his body. To counter, Naruto ripped out an exposed pipe and threw it ahead of him. The Akatsuki pulling him closer stopped and Naruto retreated to what could be a safer distance.

Naruto's face turned up. He wanted to take these guys out, but he was also concerned for his grandfather. If things got any worse, he could be used against him, or worse.

Naruto had made up his mind. The most important thing at the moment was…

_****Leaf-8-man Squad****_

The squad failed miserably at capturing the elusive enigma that is _"Tobi"_. Even Yamato wasn't able to subdue him with the use of his Wood jutsu.

"We don't have time for this!" Kakashi commented.

"Damn straight! Sasuke's so close!" Sakura added.

Shino then said, "And we need to stay on his trail…"

Kiba looked over to him and said, "That's right… You weren't with us last time, Shino! You've been griping about it for so long, you'd better work twice as hard!"

"Leave it to me…!" Shino stated as he threw up his arms.

"_More bonds, huh…?_" Sai said to himself.

_****Uchiha hideout****_

Itachi changed from the usual sharingan to the Mangekyou Sharingan. Sasuke boldly looked into his brother's eyes with a smirk on his face, no fear evident of knowing exactly what could happen.

Itachi then went on to say, "The Mangekyou Sharingan has a unique characteristic. From the way it is awakened, the eyes begin a slow and painful descent into darkness. If you were to gain these eyes, then a word of caution. The pace is quickened the more these eyes are used… to the point that it loses its _'light'_."

Sasuke understood what Itachi was saying. Overuse of the Mangekyou Sharingan would end in its user eventually going blind. He then asked, "Tell me more about this _Madara_."

"Madara, huh…? You're as confident as ever… Very well then… Madara was a man whose eyes once tamed the Nine-tails and controlled it like a pet. During the massacre, he was my accomplice and my teacher, and, so far, he's the only person to learn the sharingan's final secret. An invincible immortal. _That_ is who Madara Uchiha is."

"But you were just saying--,"

"Yes… Earlier I was saying that Madara was a shell and he is…"

"Then, how can you be better. What's this secret of the sharingan?"

"There's more than just controlling the Nine-tails. As for why I'm stronger, I'll tell you a little story," Itachi stated, ignoring his blurred vision. The story of our clan's history, long before our time… One of Madara and _his _younger brother…"

The look in Itachi's eyes intensified as Sasuke was whisked away into another genjutsu. He was shown the image of two young Uchiha males sparring. He was then shown awakening their Mangekyou Sharingan, and, finally, an image that Itachi stressed greatly… the gruesome and forceful removal of Madara's younger brother's, Izuna, eyes in search of a new source of _"light"_ that would never be extinguished, the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan.

"By changing hosts, the younger brother's eyes found an inextinguishable light! But that was only half of the story. The transplant gave birth to a new eye technique… Obviously, this _'exchange'_ could only be done between clansmen. Fathers, brothers, and fellow clansmen slaughtered one another for this cause, but… simply gaining another's eyes didn't mean that this power would be gained by everyone. Many sacrifices piled up over the course of our clan's history… Because Madara was the only one to achieve this power, he helped the clan to easily dominate every shinobi clan the Uchiha encountered. He was claimed to be the strongest shinobi in the world, and an alliance with the Senju clan of the forest solidified this as a new formidable organization was formed. One that would eventually become known as the Hidden Leaf Village… But there was a dispute over the policies of the new village between him and the leader of the Senju. Though he lost the battle for control, he remains alive and well, as do his eyes and their power. He formed a new organization, _'Akatsuki'_, and hid himself in its shadow. He was responsible for the Nine-tails' attack on the village 16 years ago, but was stopped by the 4th Hokage… Today, as I said before, Madara is nothing more than a pathetic shell of his former self. He's no longer worthy of being called the greatest Uchiha… The only one who can surpass him, surpass the invincible Madara and achieve true immortality… is me! The time to take my prize and gain power greater than him is at hand! _You, Sasuke, will become my new light_!!"

Sasuke was shocked. He tried to shift his gaze as the look in Itachi's eyes intensified even more.

"_What…?"_

With a crazed look on his face, Itachi ranted, "_You_ were my spare! As I told you, the Uchiha killed each other to obtain the Mangekyou Sharingan… and continued to make its power permanent! The tainted blood of our clan flowed because they couldn't control their lust for power! Your fate has been drenched in blood since the day you were born an Uchiha!! You were born only to be my spare! That is the bond of _all _Uchiha brothers! Now… once I kill you, I'll be transformed…! I'll be freed from this wretched clan's destiny! Any idea of limits of _'capacity'_ will be shattered _**forever**_!!"

While ripping off his bandages and slipping off his cloak, Sasuke said, "Then enough talk…! It was all for this moment… It all ends here!"

Sasuke made his move as Itachi agreed, "Indeed," as he locked his sights on his little brother…

_****Rain Village****_

"Multi-Shadow Clone jutsu!!"

Seeing that they were surrounded, the scarred man commented, "Oh… So this brat can pull off such a feat…"

Naruto wasted no time and attacked. The guys in the Akatsuki robes expressed no distress as numerous angry Narutos closed in on them. With little effort, a few missiles here and a few unusual techniques there, the attacking mob had been fully silenced.

As the smoke cleared and the dust settled, the scarred man commented, "Well… what an interesting little guy…"

The five remaining members of Pein were intrigued to find that the host they were after had escaped, but he also slipped away with Jiraiya. "We have to find them. If our secret gets out, it could prove most troublesome."

The five looked up to the scarred man, but he turned them down. Because he found the entire thing very interesting, they would have to find the two on their own. They scattered and began to thoroughly search the area and moved on to a part of the village.

As they did this, the scarred man sat back with a smirk on his face. He stood up, stretched and leapt away on his own…

_****Uchiha hideout****_

The ground was littered with shuriken and kunai. While Itachi was trying to catch his breath after their exchange, Sasuke charged. He quickly pulled his sword, but Itachi stopped him by grabbing his wrist. He suddenly pulled a kunai from his sleeve but was stopped in a similar fashion.

Sasuke was surprised by the appearance of another Itachi. It leapt over, kunai in hand, and moved in to stab Sasuke in the back. Another twist in the battle, a snake sprung from his shoulder and latched onto the free Itachi.

The flinch from this caused Sasuke to focus on him. He summoned a large shuriken and hurled it at him. Unable to retreat, Itachi tried to block it, but it cut right through his defense with the help of Sasuke's electrical current. Victory was his… or so he thought…

As the shuriken ripped through Itachi, Sasuke was taken aback as he exploded into feathers and crows. Sasuke tried to quickly return focus to the other Itachi but was met with a vicious double-punch to his gut. He crashed into the back wall and was pinned to it by Itachi. He activated his Chidori but received another punch to the gut from a second Itachi. This put a stop to his attempt.

At this point, Itachi got in close, saying, "Forgive me Sasuke…"

_****Rain Village****_

Naruto had hidden himself and his master. He controlled his breathing in hopes of erasing their presence. It had been successful thus far. Any of the Akatsuki that had come around hadn't shown any sign that they had discovered their location.

With the coast temporarily clear at the moment, Naruto quietly said, "We gotta get out of here while we can…"

He reached for his grandfather but stopped as he felt a familiar chakra signature quickly approach. He grabbed Jiraiya and dove out of the dark hiding place as it crashed. He was surprised to see that he had been found by the scarred man when he felt that he had actually done a good job at evading detection. It couldn't be helped now…

"We gotta go!"

As Naruto tried to get his grandfather and himself out of danger, he was suddenly hit in the arm by a kunai. He reacted by grunting from the sudden sharp pain and dropped Jiraiya as he reached to yank it out. He tried to apply pressure to the bleeding wound but was attacked. He evaded an earth-quaking punch and had to keep it up as the furious flurries continued flying. Naruto tried to avoid these heavy blows at all cost but was soon overwhelmed. Because Naruto was more concerned with the wellbeing of his grandfather, he was being dominated by the heavy-hitter. He would have to do something quick if he didn't want this to be the end of both his master and himself…

Through the punishment, Naruto focused his mind. He ignored what pain he could as he gathered his chakra. He had to do it just right if he hoped to succeed. As he was getting the pounding of his life, Naruto could swear that he had heard something crack. This gave him an even bigger opening that the scarred man capitalized on. With one more powerful blow, Naruto was knocked off his feet and fell onto Jiraiya's frame.

This proved to be lucky. Naruto's hair blackened and the two disappeared…

Seeing this firsthand, the scarred man stated, "So that's how it is… There was one left. Never thought I'd see anything from that clan again…"

The remaining members of Pein appeared, asking, "What happened to the Nine-tails's host?"

"He seems to have escaped," Konan revealed, floating down to them.

The scarred man folded his arms, "Well, if you were watching, it wouldn't have hurt to lend a hand…"

"Well, I figured that you would be able to handle things on your own. You often boast how capable you are," she retorted.

"And I am, but that kid is a handful." He turned to Pein, flashing a smile, saying, "Good luck…"

_****Leaf-8-man Squad****_

Shino had thrown out his arms and his sleeves opened. From them, and any opening of his clothing, exploded a massive swarm of bugs.

"Eww, that's just disgusting! You're from the Aburame clan…!?"

"Born into one of the Leaf's famous clans, I inherited this technique… Hidden Jutsu: Insect Sphere…!"

Shino's destruction bugs spread out and attacked Tobi. He continued to evade them for as long as he could, but, eventually, he was surrounded and engulfed by a chakra-hungry agitating swarm of bugs.

"I'll finish this. Why? Not only am I a part of the mission, but I must make up for not being there last time, as well."

Kiba groaned, "You're _still_ pissed about that?"

As she watched, Sakura thought, _"The bugs are swallowing him up… I can't believe that he can actually control all those tiny insects…"_

"So… how is it?" Kakashi asked.

Shino mentioned that his swarm was definitely taking chakra from the enemy and Hinata revealed that she could see his heat signature within the swarm. Yamato then took the opportunity to ready an attack. As he was about to follow through, the group of Leaf shinobi were shocked by the sudden appearance of Naruto and Jiraiya.

"Naruto…!" Sakura and Hinata called out. Sakura got Akamaru to carry her as she and Hinata rushed to the two. "What happened?"

Naruto winced as he slid off of his grandfather's back. He asked the two to help him as he was still breathing. Sakura leapt off Akamaru's back and checked Jiraiya's condition. From this, Hinata focused on Naruto's condition. She found that he had a few broken ribs and got to it.

While these two did what they could, Shino informed, "We lost him…!"

Looking at the scene, Shino's bugs seemed confused. They had definitely lost their target and scoured to find him. "How can this be?"

"Could it have been a teleportation jutsu…?" Yamato wondered.

"No," Shino replied. "Teleportation is merely high-speed movement. My bugs still would've been able to follow. Once he became the target and they began absorbing his chakra, they wouldn't let him escape."

Kakashi began to think, _"Which means, he used a 'space-time' ninjutsu… In that situation? That can't be possible…! He made no seals, had no summoning tattoos, but still managed to get away…? If that's true, then his 'space-time' ninjutsu may be more advanced than the 4__th__'s…!_ Hinata…! Can you find him?!"

She turned her attention away from Naruto, flipped down her visor and searched where Tobi once was. She found and relayed that she found no heat signature where she searched.

Naruto slipped up beside her and weakly pointed out, "He's up there…!"

Found, Tobi mocked, "Oh… Hello~ there…!"

"You won't get away!" Kiba shouted as he attacked.

He tried to drill Tobi but only hit the tree. This wouldn't stop him however. He continued the pressure in hopes of the enemy making a mistake.

Seeing how hopeless it seemed, Naruto had a sinking feeling. While still wearing one of Hinata's chakra halos, Naruto stood up, getting everyone's attention, other than Kiba and Tobi. He bit his thumbs and wiped the blood on the opposite hand and did the same to the other. He went through the seals for the, "Summoning Jutsu!!"

A thick cloud of smoke filled the area. As it faded, two creatures could be seen. Their features started to become more visible.

"Is that…!? Are those…!!?" Kiba began in disbelief as he finally stopped.

As it could now be clearly seen, so could their features. They each had three clawed toes on both hind and front feet, where one was separated like a thumb on each front. They had jagged teeth jutting from their mouths and long snouts, which one blew smoke from its nostrils. On top of their heads were a couple of crowns of 4-5 long, pointy horns. One had golden colored eyes and the other had red. Over their large bodies, there were scales from the tip of its snout to the tip of their long, thick tails to the tip of their large wings, other than the dark wing membranes. All in all, they were…

"Dragons…!" Sakura noted.

The black one turned back to Naruto, "Yo, Naruto… It's been a while. What's up? Since you summoned us, I'm sure you're gonna pay us for our time, right?" he asked.

"It talks!" a few of the Leaf shinobi were dumbfounded. They had never seen anything like this before.

"This is why grandpa doesn't like summoning you dragons. It's all about money and materials with you," Naruto said as he took the time to summon another dragon.

This one was about the size of a large housecat. It was ecstatic to see him, "Naruto~! I'm so _happy _that you summoned me! So, what did you call me for? Is it to play, or maybe… you finally need my help for a mission… other than being a decoy," the hyper little dragon trilled as it fluttered about.

When he could finally get a word in, he told the dragons, "I need you to take her back to the Leaf Village," he placed Sakura on one of the larger dragon's back. He looked to the little one and told him that he needed him to go on ahead, so as to not cause alarm. The last thing he said was, "I also need you… to take my grandpa back," he said in a sullen tone.

The dragon with long eyelashes watched as Naruto secured Jiraiya's body to her back. Upon him finishing, she nodded and gently said, "I understand…"

Naruto then turned to Hinata and asked if she could go along. "Sakura told me that you were a great Medic-nin. If there's any chance that my grandpa can be saved, I want to take it. I don't want to lose him, and I'm sure Yuuki is the same…"

Hinata nodded as she understood. She climbed on the dragon's back and began what she could to restore the living legend's life.

Watching the other dragons take-off first, Sakura tried to protest this. "Don't do this…! I have to--!"

"Sakura," Naruto sternly cut her off.

"I know that I won't be of much use in my condition, but still--!" she tried, but…

"Since you know this, you also know that you could be a burden to the team… I'm sure you don't want that," Kakashi reasoned.

She choked back her tears, "But, but… but I--,"

"Don't worry… you'll be able to see him again," Naruto assured her.

She went silent. The dragon took this opportunity to finally get going. As he got higher than the tree line, a single tear from Sakura dropped to the ground before Naruto.

As she was on her way back to the Leaf Village, Sakura hoped, _"I hope that… No, I __**know**__ that I'll see you again… Sasuke…!"_

_****Uchiha hideout****_

Sasuke was being forcibly pinned to the wall by Itachi fully pressing his body to his. Itachi apologized, "Sorry little brother… I need your eyes… in order to bring forth _my reality_…"

He then proceeded to slowly and painfully pluck out Sasuke's eyes, saying, "I warned you. Without the Mangekyou Sharingan, you don't stand a chance."

Sasuke couldn't believe it. His eye, _his_ sharingan had been removed and he was powerless to stop it. What was stopping it from happening again? As Itachi reached for the other one, Sasuke began to panic and try to thrash about. His curse seal activated, destroyed Itachi's clone and batted the other away with his wing.

Itachi stated, "This is the gap between our powers…"

"And the gap between our eyes," another said, appearing and grabbing Sasuke from behind.

"This is the end," Itachi stated, approaching with his arms and fingers outstretched.

Sasuke trembled as his brother menacingly and slowly crept closer and closer. Itachi was a fingertip's length away when Sasuke's curse spread and got out of control. Sasuke shivered as the world seemingly quaked…

To Sasuke's relief and Itachi's, and Zetsu's, surprise, the genjutsu cast on him had been broken. It was unprecedented.

As Sasuke collapsed to his knees, the dark half of Zetsu commented, "He just ate a Tsukuyomi, and yet… he somehow managed to overcome it."

"How is that possible?" the other half asked. "How could someone with a regular sharingan beat someone with the Mangekyou?"

The dark half answered, "_The sharingan is just another tool. A tool is only as good as the shinobi using it. Someone with exceptional skills at throwing rocks could beat a novice using shuriken any day… Basically, it seems that Itachi underestimated Sasuke's potential. He may just be better with the sharingan than even him…_"

Sasuke stood tall. His trembling had ceased. He looked at his brother, who covered his aching left eye, and smirked. He then said, "You can use your eyes on me over and over again, but my hatred for you will get me through. I _**will**_ see my dream become a reality!"

* * *

**End of chapter…**

Naruto manages to save his grandfather from certain death, and Sasuke proves to be more skillful than Itachi originally thought…

As things escalate, who will proceed?

Next chapter: Moving forward...


	21. A Race Against Time

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

**Recap: **

As the Uchiha brothers fight to the end, Naruto comes to the aid of Jiraiya. In a surprise event, he comes face-to-face with the Akatsuki leader, Pein, himself and a mysterious man who threatens their existence. With a bit of luck, Naruto manages to give them the slip and get Jiraiya to safety. Now it's a rush against time for him to save both his old friend and his grandfather...

* * *

**A Race Against Time**

The dragons flew furiously through the skies. They were in quite a bit of hurry to get Jiraiya the help he so desperately needed. In the meantime, Hinata did what she could.

"So… how's it going, girl," the female dragon asked.

Hinata had placed a few chakra rings on his body as well as Sakura, so she couldn't respond. Able to see that she was in deep concentration, the male dragon answered on her behalf…

"Quiet Kaoru… The girl needs peace and--,"

"Don't tell me to shut up!" she retaliated. "I could already tell that she wanted peace, so why don't _you shut up_!?"

The two continued to bicker. Maintaining her focus, Hinata ignored them until faint whispers of it got through. It was then replaced with a sudden sharp pain. This broke her concentration and her jutsu.

From Sakura's point of view, it looked as though Hinata was suffering from the effects of a twinge of a headache. She was then surprised to see her eyes glow. When it came to an end, Hinata commanded that they hurry…

_****Uchiha hideout****_

Sasuke trembled as his brother menacingly and slowly crept closer and closer. Itachi was a fingertip's length away from ripping out Sasuke's other eye when his curse spread and got out of control. Sasuke shivered as the world seemingly quaked…

To Sasuke's relief and Itachi's, and Zetsu's, surprise, the genjutsu cast on him had been broken. It was unprecedented.

As Sasuke collapsed to his knees, the dark half of Zetsu commented, "He just ate a Tsukuyomi, and yet… he somehow managed to overcome it."

"How is that possible?" the other half asked. "How could someone with a regular sharingan beat someone with the Mangekyou?"

The dark half answered, "_The sharingan is just another tool. A tool is only as good as the shinobi using it. Someone with exceptional skills at throwing rocks could beat a novice using shuriken any day… Basically, it seems that Itachi underestimated Sasuke's potential. He may just be better with the sharingan than even him…_"

Sasuke stood tall. His trembling had decreased, as did the spread of his curse seal. He looked at his brother, who covered his aching left eye, and smirked. He then said, "You can use your eyes on me over and over again, but my hatred for you will get me through. I _**will**_ see my dream become a reality!"

Itachi scoffed, "Make your illusion a reality… Fair enough… Then I say the same thing to you. During my Tsukuyomi, you saw me ripping your eyes out of their sockets… Be ready for _that_ to become reality."

Seeing Itachi close one eye, Zetsu commented to himself, "The air around Itachi is changing…"

"_Looks like he's finally getting serious_... _We might actually get to see 'Amaterasu'_…"

_****Leaf Squad****_

Naruto was fuming. His master, his grandfather, had been seriously injured, and Sasuke was so close but they couldn't get to him because some _jerk_ was blocking their way.

Naruto's hair turned golden as he said, "If you won't get out of our way, then I'll just have to blow you away," while removing his top.

Seeing this, Kiba commented, "What kind of weird freakin' habit _is_ that, stripping like that in the middle of a fight…!?"

"And you call me weird," Shino remarked.

Kiba just looked at him out of the corner of his eye. Seeing this didn't change his opinion of his long-time teammate. _He _was certainly, _without a doubt,_ still very odd himself. Also, he wasn't providing an explanation so he was just being as annoying about the subject as he usually was.

Naruto ignored them and focused his chakra, ignored the remaining pain from his injuries, and exploded.

"He disappeared!" Tobi was shocked.

He looked about but found no trace of Naruto. _"Shadow Star,"_ Kakashi realized.

What Tobi hadn't realized was that Naruto was attacking from behind. As he appeared, ready to lop off Tobi's head, the others thought, _"Got 'em!"_

Surprising, but not unlike their other attempts, Tobi managed to avoid taking seriously damaging attacks. Naruto's attack slipped right through him, but not without shining a ray of hope on the dim situation. Tobi began rubbing his neck. To the surprise of everyone, the few specks of blood on Naruto's blade proved that the task of defeating him wasn't impossible.

That "ray of hope" brightened their day, but the roaming storm clouds seemed like a bad omen for the group and their chances…

_****Uchiha hideout****_

Itachi shut his right eye but kept the other on his skilled younger brother…

Still unnoticed, both Zetsu continued to comment, "_The 'War of Genjutsu' was over the moment Tsukuyomi, a great and powerful one, was broken. So far, in taijutsu and genjutsu, the two have been fairly evenly matched… The only thing left… is a ninjutsu clash_… _The left Mangekyou Sharingan eye possesses the greatest genjutsu, while the right possesses the greatest ninjutsu. It's said that Amaterasu is the fire from hell which never disappears until it burns everything in its path… It's coming!"_

Itachi sped through hand-seals as Sasuke summoned another large shuriken and let it fly. Just as he finished his seals, he wasn't quick enough to act. He tried to duck low enough to evade but found another shuriken in its shadow. Itachi winced as the pain got to him, but he bore through it and leapt between the two.

Although this was a surprise, even more surprising, the shuriken were destructible. With one tug of a wire, it exploded into pieces. A glancing blow from one of these sent Itachi roughly crashing to the ground.

Zetsu found this all to be weird. Sure Itachi had wasted chakra when he used a powerful jutsu that failed to be successful, but it was odd how sluggish he seemed already.

With an opening, Sasuke grabbed his sword and rushed in for the kill. Unexpectedly, Itachi's right eye finally shot open. Sasuke stopped in his tracks, jumped back and released a fire jutsu. It, however, wasn't enough and was overtaken by…

"_Amaterasu_…! _The flame that even burns fire itself_!"

While his fire was being devoured by black flames, Sasuke snuck around to blindside Itachi with a Chidori. Seeing it coming, just barely, Itachi made a timely move to avoid being run through, but Sasuke instantly partially activated his seal to form a wing and bat Itachi through the ceiling.

Recovering, partially, Itachi followed with a small fire jutsu. Using his wing, Sasuke easily blocked it. Sasuke hurled more shuriken that forced Itachi back and gave him the chance to follow him to the high-ground. He was then met head-on with another fireball. He blocked it but was blown backward. Being pushed back, Sasuke decided to counter and fight fire with fire. His grew quickly and soon overpowered Itachi's who, once again, resorted to Amaterasu to overtake Sasuke's flame.

Sasuke cut his loss while he could, evading Amaterasu as it continued forward. He stood several feet away, barely able to see the blood dripping from Itachi's eye as he closed it. Sasuke let out a small grunt before charging Itachi once more.

His eye flung open once again, sending Amaterasu to chase after his target, Sasuke. Sasuke increased his curse and tried to fly to get away. Because his wings were really designed for flight, there wasn't much he could do to evade the black flame that followed him no matter what.

It finally caught up to him just as he was about to land and run away on foot. It caused him to botch his landing and skid across the roof as the flame quickly spread. The more it spread and the more it burned, the louder Sasuke's screams of agony grew…

Then, something interesting, according to the white half of Zetsu, occurred. The flames of Amaterasu were seemingly extinguished. The dark half assured the other that this was necessary if Itachi wanted to collect his brother's eyes intact.

Blood dripped from Itachi's eyes as he reached down for the fallen, unmoving Sasuke. As he got a closer and better look, Itachi realized that it was a trap. But he was too weak and exhausted to react as Sasuke attacked from below. In the fully released form of his curse seal, Sasuke launched an assault of…

"Fire style: Great Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

Several large dragon-head-shaped fireballs were blasted upward at Itachi. Just barely, Itachi managed to avoid being swallowed by these beasts of fire but not without taking some damage. At first, his cloak had caught fire, but then his right arm and leg were terribly burned. He quickly jumped out of his Akatsuki cloak and stopped to catch his breath and get his bearings as the assault ceased.

Though blurred, he could see Sasuke drop to his knees as well. His transformation reverted, but he still sounded confident as he chuckled and said, "This will probably be my last jutsu… but I'm sure it'll be the last you ever see…!"

Between breaths, Itachi replied, "Drop… the act, Sasuke… I… already know you're… out of chakra… The replacement you used… to evade my Amaterasu was a move… of Orochimaru's… Although it's difficult to detect… it also consumes a lot of chakra."

Sasuke responded, "Heh… I won't deny that I'm out of chakra… I used everything I had left for that last fire technique… But don't think that I came here to kill you with that little bit… I came prepared this time." Sasuke leapt up to the highest point he could and looked down at his enemy. He then stated, "It'll be over in an instant. Like Amaterasu, this technique is unavoidable." He raised his hand, saying, "It's time to reproduce what I saw earlier… the vision of your death."

_****Leaf Village****_

The dragons had arrived in the village, to the shock and awe to the villagers. Hinata quickly got help for Jiraiya and Sakura, who could now walk a bit thanks to her. Once word reached Tsunade, she wasted no time in getting Jiraiya into surgery. Hopefully, they could make it in time.

Having done their job, and sure that Naruto wouldn't forget to pay them for their effort, the dragons were about to leave, but one was missing…

Yuuki had come across Konohamaru and his team, and sensei, and joined them in their training at one of the many training areas. Being a bit more experienced, she agreed to be their opponent and test their capabilities as shinobi.

It seemed that no matter what they tried, the experience and skill level was too much to overcome, as Ebisu constantly stressed. Yuuki would prove to be speedier than their fastest member and able to outfox even their smartest member. Konohamaru tried to match her clone for clone and trick for trick…

"Sexy Technique: Guy Love!!"

Konohamaru transformed himself and his clone into a pair of Narutos touching and caressing each other. This brought a big blush to Moegi and Yuuki's faces and caused Ebisu to go on a rant of how it wasn't a proper technique to use to succeed in battle.

As the two touchy-feely guys looked from the corner of their eyes, they could see Yuuki licking her lips. Just as he wanted, she approached as if she wanted to get in the middle of things. Once she got close enough, Konohamaru would spring his trap and subdue and defeat her. This would prove how great he really was and could be.

Yuuki was an arms length away when the Narutos stretched out their arms to welcome her. To their surprise, the look on her face wasn't what they were expecting. The look on her face was ferocious and the look in her eyes spelled death. Before they realized what was happening, Yuuki lashed out with a punch to each of their jaws…

As Konohamaru lay sprawled out, Yuuki lectured, "Shame on you, using my brother's image that way! It was wrong!"

Ebisu agreed, "That's correct… Using such a thing to try and win a battle will only lead to defeat, such as it has."

Yuuki continued, "It was all wrong! My brother is _a lot_ sexier than the way you portrayed him! And two of him feeling each other up was the wrong image to use against me! I love my brother, so it'd be best to use one of the two of us being _lovey_-_dovey_!"

Ebisu couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Tha-… _that's_… what she found wrong with it…?"

Udon and Moegi were in the same boat. "Seems that way… _[Sighs]_…"

"Hey, did you hear…? There's been talk of dragons showing up back in the village…!" they overheard a young man say.

"Really…? That's awesome! Let's go check it out!" another suggested.

"_Dragons…?"_ Yuuki wondered.

She then heard them say, "Awesome! Is that one there!?"

"Yeah, I think so!"

"It's kind of small though…"

Hearing this Yuuki ran to see the two boys looking and pointing to a small dragon flying overhead. "Kiyoshi, what are you doing here?"

Finally spotting Yuuki down below, he swooped down to meet her. "Oh, Yuuki… It's nice to see you… I came to play," he informed her.

"But… you had to be summoned here. If you were, then, that must mean… my brother's back!"

"No… I was summoned to lead Ryuuto and Kaoru here without causing a scare for the villagers."

"Where are they now? Why would you need to lead them here?" Yuuki asked.

"Oh, well… they left. Ryuuto felt bad about asking Naruto for treasures since was really hurt. Naruto had us hurry back here to get him help," he truthfully told, not realizing the effect it could have.

Yuuki was shocked and in disbelief. "My… grandpa… was hurt…!?"

She wasted no time and hurried back to the village to see about her grandfather's condition. When she got to the hospital, she was told that he was in surgery and forced to wait…

_****Leaf Squad****_

The dark clouds that were quickly gathering could be better seen as more of the tall trees of the forest were being chopped down.

In his goofy persona, Tobi remarked, "Eeyah…! That was surprising there for a minute, but… you still can't beat me~!"

Naruto growled, "Grrr… Then I'll have to obliterate you!"

Naruto sheathed his swords and began cycling through hand-seals. Realizing what he had in mind, Kakashi stepped forward and stopped him…

"That'll do no good, Naruto… If he avoids it like he's been doing, it may just give him the opening he needs to land a serious hit…"

Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration, but he understood what Kakashi was saying. Every now and then, he would lose track of this guy's chakra. What's more, if sight of him was lost, it would be tragic if he'd use the opportunity to eliminate his comrades before they realized what was happening.

Seeing Naruto's chakra stabilize, continuing in a goofy manner, Tobi remarked, "Ahhhh… Why'd you stop? It was so pretty…! I _really _wanted to see it," he finished in a serious tone.

"JUST WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, YOU PSYCHO!!?" Kiba roared.

_****Uchiha hideout****_

"_Un-… avoidable…?"_ Zetsu pondered. _"What could it possibly be?"_

The dark clouds had gathered and it began to pour. A flash of lightning and the roar of thunder and the storm's ferocity picked up. This clued Zetsu in on what Sasuke was thinking. He had taken advantage of Itachi's Amaterasu's heat along with his own fire techniques to set this all up. He was planning to tame lightning itself…

"_If he can actually do it, it's gonna be on a different scale of what humans can normally produce,"_ Zetsu commented.

Sasuke went on to say, "This technique's power source is lightning from heaven itself…! All I have to do is guide it. I call it… _'Kirin'_!"

Zetsu and Itachi looked on in amazement, and a bit of terror. Itachi was too weak, and his eyesight was fading fast, but he could still see the flashes of light as the lightning itself began to take form.

With a smirk on his face, Sasuke remarked, "Don't blink… You'll miss your obliteration… Now…! Disappear with the thunder!!"

He dropped his arm and directed at Itachi down below. As Sasuke had mentioned, the lightning that he had "tamed" sped towards his target. In one brilliant display of light and power, the technique shook the heavens and split the earth.

Sasuke had aspired to top his brother and become the pinnacle of the shinobi world. It seemed that, with the bright flash and thunderous boom of his newly revealed technique, he had done just that as his brother was completely devastated and wiped out. A cool smirk appeared on his face as he realized this…

_****Leaf Squad****_

"What-The-Hell-Was-_That_!?!" Kiba exclaimed, wriggling his finger in his ear.

Tobi was thinking to himself, _"I wonder…"_

He turned back to see a swarm of insects closely followed by manipulated wood coming at him. Before he was overtaken by this, he could see that the remaining Leaf shinobi were resorting to "scattering in hopes of getting by him".

Exasperated, he thought, _"Not again…"_

History repeated itself as he managed to corral them before appearing before them once again.

"Let us pass!" Naruto demanded.

Tobi responded, "No… How about you keep me company for a little while longer…?"

"Like hell we will!!" both Kiba and Naruto threatened.

_****(Former)Uchiha hideout****_

As the smoke began to clear, seeing the hectic condition of the landscape below turned Sasuke's smirk into a broad smile.

"It's… it's all over! I did it!"

A bit of happiness could actually be seen on his face. He leapt down to get a better look at the turnout. As the smoke finally fully dissipated, so too did his smile…

"Was that… what you saw in your vision of my death?"

Sasuke's frame began to tremble as the sight and sound of Itachi slowly coming towards him conquered his mind. "H-… how…?"

Zetsu wondered the same thing. _"How did he survive that just now?"_

Watching him creep closer, Sasuke's eye twitched as he grinded his teeth. Losing control, he exploded, "GODDAMN YOU, ITACHI!! JUST _DIE_ ALREADY!!"

Sasuke's rage pushed him to force a transformation. His curse seal quickly spread over his body as he had nothing else up his sleeves to resort to. The only thing he could manage was hurling kunai and shuriken. They were all batted away by a strange form that seemingly materialized around Sasuke's target.

"_What… is that?"_

Itachi smirked while saying, "If I hadn't used this in time, I would've been obliterated… You've become strong, Sasuke." Seeing the frustration set in Sasuke's face, Itachi revealed, "Behold… the final weapon in my arsenal… _'Susano'o'_."

"Just what is that supposed to be?"

Itachi replied, "The third and final technique of the Mangekyou Sharingan. With this, my victory is assured, so… if you have anything else up your sleeve, I suggest you bring them to the light…"

Sasuke and Zetsu were amazed to see that the skeletal form of Susano'o was becoming more complete. In a matter of seconds, it became a figure of glowing eyes hidden within a guise of long, pointed nosed titan.

Ready, Itachi began to come forward. Sasuke resumed throwing whatever he could get his hands on, shuriken, kunai, even rocks, but it was all futile. The strange entity that shrouded Itachi knocked it all away as it protected its user.

Feeling weak and failing to succeed at accomplishing his goal, Sasuke could hear a voice deep within hiss, _"I can give you what you want. Do you want my power?"_ Sasuke tried to fight it, but it continued, _"Admit it, Sasuke… You need me if you want to get your revenge on your brother, Itachi… Now… release me… and I'll grant your wish… Sssss-…"_

As a creature branched out from Sasuke's curse seal, enormous in its own right, it took form as the voice finished, "Sssssasukeee!!"

A smirk crossed Itachi's face. This was what he had been waiting for. As his behemoth stared down the eight slithering heads before it, Itachi stated, "I know this feeling… The snake's finally come out…"

"_Orochimaru's found a way to come back… That guy just doesn't know when to die and stay dead,"_ Zetsu remarked.

As the two began their battle of behemoths, Itachi's guardian swiftly sliced off several heads of the serpent in one mighty swing. It kept chopping and slicing until there was only one reluctant to attack. From within its mouth appeared none other than Orochimaru.

In, according to Zetsu, Orochimaru's usual disgusting fashion, he pulled a sword from his own throat. A sadistic smile came to his face as he expressed, "This is the chance I've been waiting for… and it's all thanks to you, Itachi! To thank you properly, I'll kill you quickly before I take your little brother's body as my ow--n!"

As he was finishing, Orochimaru was on the receiving end of a surprising thrust from Itachi's mighty guardian. Hearing Orochimaru creak from the pain of being run-through, Itachi confidently said, "Alright, Sasuke… got anything else?"

He then heard the maniacal laughter of Orochimaru as he proclaimed, "That won't work on me! I--,"

Feeling a strange sensation that came from being stabbed, Orochimaru realized the blade Itachi had been using. It was one that would seal anyone pierced by it into an endless world of genjutsu for all of eternity. This meant bad news for someone even as persistent and resilient as Orochimaru himself.

In one swift moment, Orochimaru met his end as he was sealed away by Itachi. Rid of that nuisance, Itachi could finally focus on what it was that he had waited so long for… claiming Sasuke's eyes…

_****Leaf Squad****_

The vast area faced the threat of deforestation as Naruto and company continued their struggle against the mysterious menace now known, and to never be forgotten, as Tobi.

Great frustration was quickly setting in. it seemed that everything they had tried was proving unsuccessful. They tried _everything_ they could but couldn't take the liberties to try anything more drastic… that is until…

"I guess I have no choice but to try my trump," Kakashi stated.

"Do you think it'll work Kakashi sensei?" Naruto asked.

"It better because we no longer have time to play around here. We have to get to Sasuke."

Naruto nodded in agreement. He then added, "You try your way, and I'll try mine…"

Kiba and Shino were lost. They had no idea what the two were referring to or how it would affect their current situation. They would just have to sit back and watch…

They expected to see some amazing kind of spectacle. What they witnessed was indeed a spectacle, but not one they were expecting. A strange being in the form of a giant flytrap appeared at the feet of Tobi.

They overheard it say, "It's all over."

"What!? What's all over? What is that thing?" Kiba questioned.

"He was in the booklet Kabuto left behind," Kakashi informed.

As it opened, they saw a two-toned figure as he said, "You should come quick…"

"So, one of the Uchiha brothers finally prevailed over the other." Looking down at the Leaf shinobi, especially Naruto, as if taunting them, he said, "I wonder which one of them won…"

Naruto could no longer feel Sasuke's chakra signature. Desperate, he exploded, "Hey, _'Aloe-Vera man'_... which one?"

"Aloe Vera…?"

"_Just ignore him_," the dark half told the other.

With this, Tobi stated, "I'd love to finish playing with you _children_, but it'll have to wait until some other time…"

This time of all the others, Kakashi had actually gotten a good look at Tobi's eye. He was surprised to see that it was a sharingan.

"Just who the hell are you?!"

Tobi didn't reply. As Zetsu sunk into the tree and disappeared, he waved one last goodbye before disappearing himself in an odd manner. As if sucked into a point in space, he was gone, leaving the Leaf shinobi with a bad taste in their mouths.

Shaking this from their thoughts, they resumed their pursuit of Sasuke, who they hoped was still alive. They were in a hurry…

"We have to get to Sasuke before they do! Naruto, can you sense him?" Kakashi asked.

"No, but there's a place with powerful chakra around. It's 10 kilometers that way!" he pointed out.

Seeing that this wasn't greatly reliable information, Kakashi decided to check. He noticed that there were unusually dark clouds singularly hovering over one specific area. Hopefully, this was the correct destination they would need to go. It was certainly better than nothing. They rushed as fast as they could…

Back at the ground where the Uchiha hideout once stood, beneath the pouring rain, Tobi found the Uchiha brothers, Itachi and Sasuke, both laid out. With a brief flash of lightning, Tobi suddenly appeared between the two.

Looming over them, after the following cry of thunder, he remarked, "Looks like I win the race. You're all too slow," to Zetsu. "You're no faster than that kid and his glorified _'Body-Flicker technique'_… Humph… _'Shadow Star'_…"

To this, Zetsu responded, "Well excuse me for not being able to move at the _freakin'_ speed of light!"

Ignoring this attitude, Tobi asked if the battle had been recording which Zetsu assured it had. With everyone in place, he suggested, "Let's get them and get out of here before those Leaf children get here. Go get Kisame as well."

After getting by Itachi's ever-burning Amaterasu, the very so-called _"Leaf children"_ arrived on the site of the brother's epic battle. They had arrived, but unfortunately…

"We're too late," Kakashi gloomily remarked.

Sai could see the hurt on Naruto's face. He wanted to help get him through this, but he had no idea of what or how to do this. _"It would be better if Sakura was here. I'm sure, if she was, she would know how to make him feel better…"_

With way to follow their scents or find them by their chakra signatures, at the moment, the Leaf shinobi had failed. The mission to get Sasuke was once again unsuccessful.

With nothing more that could be done, at the moment, Naruto began walking away from the battle site. The rapid splash of his feet as he departed caught the attention of the others.

"Where are you going, Naruto?" Kiba wondered.

Naruto didn't answer. All that was on his mind was, _"I hope you're okay… Hold on grandpa…!" _

_

* * *

  
_

**End of chapter…**

The mission to capture one of the Uchiha brothers fail as the Leaf squad is beat to the punch…

Even so, which prevailed in the battle, and will Jiraiya somehow survive?

Next chapter: Failure…


	22. Failure!

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Bigger beings"**

**A/N: **It's been a while, but I think that I can finally get back into the swing of things.

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

* * *

**Recap: **

The mission to capture one of the Uchiha brothers fail as the Leaf squad is beat to the punch. As at the moment, Naruto is unsure of the fate of his long time friend and rival as well as his grandfather. As he rushes to their rescue, will his efforts be effective...?

* * *

**Failure**

_Susano'o had drained the last ounce of Sasuke's strength and the last hope of winning the battle. As Itachi once again proceeded to advance towards the helpless Sasuke, he claimed, "Your eyes belong to me now… Sasuke…" _

_Sasuke was so exhausted that he barely had the strength to lift his head. He tried to get up and run, or at least put some distance between the two, but all he could muster was trembling from his struggle. _

_Itachi continued to come closer, saying, "I'll take them slowly… I want to savor this…" _

_Itachi had finally reached where Sasuke was stuck on his knees. With his older brother looming over him, Sasuke managed to weakly express, "Ff-… Fuck… you…!" _

_Itachi responded to these words with nothing more than a bloody smile and a psychotic look. With nothing more than a victorious grunt, he thrusted his bloody hand forward… to pluck out his younger brother's eyes… _

At this point, Sasuke jumped awake. It was nothing more than a bad dream… or was it? Barely clothed and waking in an icy cold sweat, Sasuke covered himself in the bedding mysteriously provided for him. As he lay down, staring at the ceiling, he noticed the new bandages on various regions of his body. As if some strange force was controlling him, he reached up to his forehead and down between his eyes. Bringing it over his face, he noticed a bit of blood on his fingertips. This shocked him back to his nightmare and the real-life events that transpired in it.

Sasuke's nightmare had the events clouded. Although he was in a pinch as the battle was coming to a close, Itachi hadn't taken his eyes. Instead, he cornered him and left his bloody mark on him with a familiar poke to the forehead. Before crashing to the ground, the last words he spoke to his little brother were drowned out by the thunderous roar of the storm they had created. The blood that was now on his face was mostly washed away by the downpour, but a touch remained.

Sasuke shook his head as it was all still rather fuzzy. As he opened his eyes, he saw someone's foot at his side. Looking up, he nearly jumped out of his skin at the strange masked figure before him…

"There's no need to be frightened. I'm the one that brought you here and gave you some first-aid," Tobi said, trying not to stir the injured Sasuke too much. "You won but still came out of it pretty badly wounded. You shouldn't be so reckless with your life." Seeing that Sasuke still seemed on edge, Tobi assured him, "Don't worry about that last encounter. I'm not your enemy… never have been…"

"Why did you help me? Why did you bring me here?" Sasuke weakly questioned.

"I brought you here to tell you something important. It's a story that's sure to clear things up… It's about Itachi and the history of the Uchiha." Sasuke seemed to finally focus on him, so Tobi continued, "Are you interested…?" he inched forward, giving Sasuke a good look at his own sharingan.

Naruto rushed through the forest, hoping that his grandfather would somehow survive this terrible ordeal. As he hurried back to the village, he noticed something but paid it no mind. If it had nothing to do with Sasuke or Jiraiya, he didn't really care at the moment.

Although he didn't really give the mysterious chakra signatures any thought, he would soon have to. They were trailing him…

Naruto quickly spun around, hurling a handful of shuriken and kunai at his pursuers. He wasn't so shocked that they deflected his weapons, but it was more so _how_ they did it…

Naruto sniffed the air, saying, "Don't tell me…! You're…!"

As their cloaks drifted to the ground and two pairs of wings shrunk back into their owners, Naruto could see the fierceness in the red eyes. He would soon recognize them. The red eyes looking at him shifted to blue, and one set began to look at him softly. It only took the few seconds after the horns and tails reverted back to normal before Naruto could correctly place them…

"You…! You're…! You're….. the… 'Dragon girls'," Naruto stated, unsure as he rubbed his chin.

He was on the right track, so one responded, "Ryuubi and Ryuuri," showcasing the other young woman with the sour look.

The feelings expressed by her eyes could be seen to sink deeper and deeper into anger as Naruto contemplated on this. "Ryuubi…? Ryuuri…? Ryuuri…? Ryuubi…?"

He looked them over carefully, taking in every detail. Like, the shorter one, Ryuuri, had messy brown hair, in a slight spiky fashion, that branched off into twin-tails at the sides of her head. She wore a sleeveless leotard with fishnets underneath. Both, the leotard and fishnet top left the upper half of her back exposed to make the transition to winged-form more efficient and less disruptive. For pants, she wore tight shorts, well above her knee-high boots, that were buttoned to her leotard but left the front and back of her thighs exposed. Accessories included a scarf around her neck, a tied-off rope as a belt with a tantō at her back, and big sleeves topped off, and held in place by, golden bands on each bicep. Watching her react through her blue eyes reminded Naruto of Kakashi, especially since she was keeping the lower half of her face covered by a mask. His eyes narrowed at this, causing Ryuuri's eyebrow to twitch in response.

The other, on the other hand, was a bit easier to read. Ryuubi had a pleasant expression on her face that said that she was happy to see him. At least, that's what it seemed like. As he examined her, she would occasionally fidget in ways that reminded Naruto of Hinata. Although, this was _not_ the case in the outfit department. Hinata was more _reserved_ while Ryuubi was dressed in a more enticing manner. Like Ryuuri, the brunette had slightly spiky hair with a few thick bangs drooping over her forehead. Her hair was also tied with a black bow into a single, long ponytail. Even the strands of hair down the side of her face were far below her shoulders and ample bosom. Naruto averted his gaze from embarrassment as he found himself staring at her chest. Even though he had looked away, the image of Ryuubi was seared into his brain. He could still see the rest of what she had been wearing. Under her scarf, the top of her short black kimono, trimmed with gold, was collared around her neck like a choker. This kimono was unusual in how it was raised on the left side, but it was clear with the belt of kunais strapped to her thigh. She also had fishnets underneath all of this and a tantō tucked in the back of her obi belt. She wore black fingerless elbow gloves, slipped on around her middle fingers, and black wrist protectors with gold trim. Unlike her hands, and her sister, Ryuubi's legs were fully exposed, with the exception of small-heeled shoes that were just strapped above her dainty ankles.

With all of this absorbed, Naruto was still a bit slow, but the two young women's identities finally came to him. This was mostly due to how close the two seemed as they awaited his reaction…

"Ohhh! You two…!" he exclaimed.

His excited expression changed after it fully dawned on him. His mouth gaped open for a moment before he strangely backed away from the dragon girls. They were shocked as, after another moment of silence, he only said, "How've you been?"

Before they could reply, they were even more shocked to see the distance between them grow. Every time they tried to say something, he would shuffle back even more. To their surprise, he then turned and ran away…

"Na-… NARUTO!!" Ryuubi called out.

She was devastated when he didn't stop and turn around, or even slow down, after she called to him. Her form began to droop as she fell into a pit of depression. She was stuck there and wouldn't return to reality, even at the cries of her sister.

Ryuuri tried her best to bring her back, but there was no time as something caught her attention…

_****Leaf Village****_

In the hospital, Yuuki sat quietly as she awaited _anything_ about her grandfather's condition. The longer she had to wait, the more frantic she was feeling. As pessimistic thoughts crept into her head, Yuuki's breathing began to become more and more shallow. She would have had a panic attack if it weren't for the timely sounds of quickly approaching footsteps. Jolted back, Yuuki's eyes shot up to the heavily breathing figure a few feet away…

"Na-… Naruto," she started, teary-eyed.

"What's going on?" he asked.

She didn't respond with words. This, and the action of running up to him and wrapping her arms around him, began to cause Naruto to worry even more. He wanted to get some kind of answer, but, seeing the condition his sister was currently in, Naruto couldn't bring himself to try. Instead, he forced her to take a seat but never broke away. Together, the two waited… and waited… _and_ waited…

Eventually, they were approached by the team that Naruto had left behind. Seeing the state Yuuki was in, and, considering how Naruto could end up the same way, they said nothing. They quietly shuffled about and took seats as well. Even the dragon sisters followed this example as they joined the group. And, so, the waiting game continued…

Naruto lifted his head to see Sakura hobbling out on her new crutch. Behind her were Hinata, Shizune, and Tsunade. He was unsure what to make of their expressions. Each looked emotionally spent with a hint of gloom.

Naruto sprang from his seat, Yuuki still clinging to his clothes, and asked, "How is he?"

No one would answer him, and it began to make Naruto and Yuuki worry even more. The others looked to Tsunade as she approached Naruto. She lightly said that she needed to speak with him, and they, with Yuuki tagging along, headed a few feet down the hall.

She ran her hand over her face before saying, "Jiraiya took some serious damage. He was cut, stabbed, he lost a limb, and… his tail was ripped from his body… Who would do such a thing…?" Naruto was silent, a mix of seriousness and woe. Feeling that this wasn't the time to get into this subject, Tsunade continued, "I have to say, he was in a pretty critical state when he arrived… It would've taken a great amount of luck and skill to save him…… This may not bode well, but… he's hanging in there," she revealed.

Naruto and Yuuki's faces lightened up as the gloomy atmosphere was thankfully lifted. The two chuckled in relief and couldn't stop happily hugging one another. This brought a smile to the others' faces.

With a faint smile of her own, Tsunade warned, "We did all we could and managed to save him, but… there's still a chance that he could relapse."

The two nodded as if they understood and asked, "Can we see him?"

Tsunade's smile broadened as she nodded. She had the two, alone, follow her to his new room. The rest were made to continue their waiting.

The three eased into Jiraiya's room. It could be seen that everything he had been through was still taking its toll. Noticing his visitors, he slowly turned his head and weakly greeted them.

"Are you okay, grandpa?" Yuuki managed to gleam a happy smile.

Reserving some of his energy, Jiraiya simply nodded as best he could. Yuuki was on the verge of shedding tears of joy as her smile broadened after seeing this. Although he tried to fight it, Naruto was in the same boat. To stop himself, he placed his hand on Yuuki's head. She fell back and began cozying up to him.

He then said, "I knew you'd be okay… You're the best, toughest, perviest guy I know and love. There's no way you'd let something like this take you out…"

Jiraiya weakly smiled up at his grandchildren. It could be seen that he even tried to chuckle a bit as they heard, "You got that right… He's like a roach. You may not want him around, but you'll have a tough time getting rid of him."

Heads turned and all were delighted to see Hitomi smiling proudly. It was a happy occasion with the family all here. Tsunade was going to excuse herself and leave, but, according to Yuuki, she didn't have to because she was family as well. She became choked up from the sentiment and agreed to stay, at least, for a little while.

They enjoyed themselves but eventually had to leave Jiraiya to get some rest. Almost as soon as their toes crossed the threshold, they were ambushed with questions of concern from some of the "search squad". They were quickly assured that he was doing just fine as Naruto and Yuuki made their way through, stating that the whole ordeal had exhausted and hungered them.

The youngsters departed, with Sakura and Hinata taking up the rear. Kakashi and Yamato hung back however. Being as ever vigilante as he was, Kakashi asked, "How are things? From your expression, I take it that you're worried about something…"

On the way to Naruto's favorite food stand, the dragon sisters began talking amongst themselves…

"That…"

"Yeah… I'm almost certain it was," Ryuubi stated.

"But… how?"

Ryuubi shook her head. She had no idea, but maybe things would become clear with time. For now, they would focus on something else.

They had finally arrived, losing some on the way. Naruto greeted the old man and his daughter behind the counter and took his seat. A smile crossed the old man's lips as he was happy to see Naruto and some of his friends coming to his place. He invited the rest to get comfortable as well. Ryuubi and Ryuuri quickly took their seats, swiping one from Sakura.

"H-… Hey…! I was gonna sit there!" Sakura claimed.

Ryuubi apologized, "I-… I'm sorry, but… I wanted to sit next to Naruto. This way… we can talk without everyone overhearing us," she said, blushing a bit.

Sakura's eyebrow rose as she wanted to question this, but she took it with a grain of salt. She would be offered the seat next to Hinata by Sai, which wasn't such a bad thing since her healing process could be quickened this way.

Getting a good look at his customers, it wasn't long before the owner recognized the dragon sisters from a few years ago, surprising everyone, and causing Ryuuri to look at Naruto with disdain. Sakura didn't say it, but she also hadn't recognized the two right away. Instead, she sat quietly and awaited her order.

After placing their orders, Ryuubi wasted no time in getting down to business. She shifted to the edge of her seat, getting as close to Naruto as she could to softly say, _"_Naruto… about why we're here… Well… we were hoping that… you were ready now…_"_

"Ready for what?" Naruto asked, oblivious to her plea.

"Y-… you know…… Our… our clan… You said… that you'd help us with it…_"_

Naruto looked a bit terrified. He hoped that he was just over thinking things and said, "S-sure… Wha-… what do you need me to do?"

She blushed furiously as she fidgeted with her arms tucked between her legs. She then summoned up the courage to tell him in his ear.

Hearing it spelled out for him so clearly, Naruto was shocked as he responded, "O-oh, re-re-re-really…? I-I-I-I-… I don't know about that… I-I don't know… if I could be such a big help… right now… I-I-I've got… some… important things to…"

"We've spent the past couple of years alone with no one else but each other. We didn't need anyone else then, and we don't need _you_ now!" Ryuuri stressed.

Naruto had no objections. "Well, that's… that's just fine… To be honest, I actually like--,"

He was suddenly interrupted by Ryuubi, "What are you saying, Ryuuri…? Of course we need him. We have to help our clan thrive, and we can't possibly do it on our own."

Naruto tried to speak up but was interrupted by Ryuuri, "How can you say that when he obviously doesn't want anything to do with it…! It'd just be pointless anyway since he'd probably be useless anyway…"

He tried to defend himself but was interrupted again, this time by Yuuki, "Useless…!? You can't call my brother useless! Not when he does so much to protect this village and save his friends, unlike you and _your_ sister who, I'm sure, haven't done a single important thing since we went our separate ways!"

Naruto tried to get the two to calm down. "You guys don't have to get all riled up over something like this…! We-… we've got a while before we have to make a decision about this… right?"

The two were about to jump back into it but were surprised by Ryuubi's sudden action. She jumped up and began affectionately petting Naruto's head. Even more surprising was his reaction. His foot began tapping as he slowly took his seat. As Ryuubi kept it up, Naruto's leg began to shake, his tails unwrapped and began strangely wriggling about, two white and black tufts sprang up from his white head, and he began purring contently.

Seeing how her brother was like putty in the "enemy's" hand, Yuuki directed at Ryuubi, "I can't _st_and you. You too," she glared at Ryuuri.

Things finally began to settle as the light sounds of purring were replaced with that of rough snoring. Embarrassing to all, for various reasons, Naruto had drifted off and was now using Ryuubi's chest as a pillow.

Seeing Naruto slobbering on her sister, Ryuuri began steaming. Her twitchy blue eyes changed to red and her horns emerged. Yuuki reacted to this in a similar manner, minus the horns…

Both exploded, "YOU WANNA GO…!!?"

They were about to turn the small shop into a battlefield, but it was alleviated by the quick and professional service of their food. This also solved the problem of Naruto using Ryuubi as a pillow as he shot awake from the delicious smell of ramen.

"_Darn…!"_ Ryuubi thought. _"I wish that we could've stayed like that a little longer."_

Although her fantasy had ended, that didn't stop her from trying to get as close to Naruto as she could. She even, to the dismay of the other girls, tried to feed Naruto, first from her own bowl and then from his. He politely declined this and continued with his meal. Several bowls later, it was finally time to settle the check. Naruto offered, but the old man, Teuchi, told him that it was on the house.

Naruto didn't argue with this, but he couldn't help but think, _"I know that the food here is great, but… is it really okay for that guy to keep giving me free meals…?"_ He pondered this for a second and thought, _"Oh well… It was definitely a great meal anyway."_

After such a great big meal, Naruto was feeling drowsy all over again. He opted to part ways with the others to get some much needed rest… but he was being followed.

"Wha-… what are you doing?" he questioned.

"A nap sounds nice," Ryuubi answered.

"Oh… That's nice. See ya later then…"

He took a few more steps but got the same impression. He quickly turned to ask the two sisters what they were up to. Ryuubi told him, "We're going to take a nap too."

"Okay, but… why are you following me?"

Ryuubi blushed as a smile came to her face. Naruto could feel that there was something more to it than it appeared. His feelings were confirmed when she said, "I… I thought… that… maybe… we could…… take a nap together…"

Everyone else was taken aback by this bold proposal…

"_T-t-… together…!?"_ Hinata's face started match and exceed Ryuubi's.

"Y-you can't," Sakura softly started. She wanted to object, but who was she to tell others what to do, especially with how much of burden she had been recently…

Yuuki, on the other hand, didn't care if she had the right to or not. She wouldn't allow something like this to take place, not when her brother was involved. "You can't!!" Yuuki exploded.

"Wh-why not?" Ryuubi questioned.

"We don't have any money for a hotel or anything," Ryuuri unenthusiastically mentioned.

"E-even so, you can't stay with us!" Yuuki stood firm. "You two; who knows what goes on in your little brains…! Probably nothing more than '_this'_ and '_that'_," she stated, looking a little discombobulated.

"'_This'… and 'that'…?"_ Hinata thought, once again rivaling Ryuubi in shade.

Ryuubi tried to plead, "Bu-… but…"

"Hell no!" Yuuki sternly declined.

Naruto didn't know which side to take. On one hand, the dragon sisters needed a place to stay but had no money. It would be a nice thing to help them out in some way. On the other hand, if he did offer his room to them, there could be a chance that he'd regret it. It was already bad enough sharing a room with his little sister. Adding the dragon girls to that mix would just make matters worse. They were, after all, pretty aggressive the last time they were together. Naruto was so confused…

Sakura wanted to remain impartial but could tell that that wouldn't be the best for anyone. She chimed in, "Um… I… have a suggestion." When everyone was all ears, she said, "The girls… could stay with me."

"A-are you sure, Sakura?" Naruto knew that they could be quite a handful. He wouldn't feel comfortable pawning them off on someone like Sakura.

She wouldn't hear it. She said that she would be glad to help out. It would give her the chance to get to know them better. Hinata even offered to join them for the night, if it was alright. The subject seemed to be all settled, giving Naruto a bit of relief.

Seeing Yuuki cling to his arm, sticking her tongue out at the others, a thought came to him. He threw her to the group of girls, saying, "Take this one too…"

Without a second thought, Naruto left for the Hokage Tower. Yuuki was appalled that she had just been shoveled off onto someone else by her own dear brother…

Tsunade, after heading to her office and informing Fukasaku of Jiraiya's wellbeing, was making a few rounds in the hospital when she decided to check in on him one last time. She was a bit surprised to find Hitomi inside as well. Feeling that she was interrupting on an intimate moment, she apologized and tried to excuse herself.

"No, no… come in," Hitomi welcomed. "We… _I_ was just reminiscing about old times. Come in."

Hesitantly, Tsunade entered and took her place next to Jiraiya's bed. She looked at Hitomi's smiling face and then down to Jiraiya's.

"Are you comfortable?" she asked. Jiraiya nodded. She then said, "I'm glad you came back… even if it was in this condition," she expressed.

Jiraiya's smile grew larger. He grabbed the pad on his chest and began writing. When done, he showed it to Tsunade. It read, _"I made it back alive. Looks like you lose the bet._ ;)_"_

Tsunade smiled, chuckling slightly. Hitomi rose from her seat and walked from around the bed. As she was on her way out the door, she called Tsunade over to her…

"Although I still have lingering feelings for the big lug… he's all yours, _princess_," Hitomi hinted.

She then left, giving the two, giving them some privacy…

The girls, Yuuki included, had arrived at Sakura's home and was now in her room. The dragon sisters finally got the chance to remove their bags and dropped them in a corner. Sakura took them and placed them in the closet and asked everyone to get comfortable. They did as she requested, even to the point…

Sakura turned back and became flustered. "Wh-wh-wh-wh-why are you getting undressed?!"

Ryuubi replied, "It feels so good to finally get to get out of these clothes," her monkey-tail wagging slightly.

This didn't really help to ease how uncomfortable Sakura, Hinata, and Yuuki were, especially since the fishnets they were wearing weren't doing such a great job of fully covering their bodies.

Sakura went into a panic as there was a knock at her door. As it opened, she fell over herself trying to get to the girls in time to cover them. Having failed, she was ready to freak out as a head of short pink hair poked in. Her green eyes scanned the room and were surprised to find the group of girls, mainly the two standing there…

"What's going on here?" she asked, entering the room.

"M-mom… it's not what it looks like…"

It was certainly a surprise. This was the first time that any of them had ever met Sakura's mother. The two certainly favored each other, but there were a few noticeable differences. Sakura's mother looked to be in better shape. Her body was lean and fit and didn't look as soft as Sakura's. She also had a more "_feminine_" figure than her daughter, aside from her muscular frame, as well as a certain look on her face…

With an evil smirk, she said, "I know what it looks li~ke… You guys were planning to… have a fun sleepover…!"

"Huh?" Sakura's jaw gaped. "Then…"

"It's fine with me… as long as I can join in with you cute young girls too!" she said.

Sakura's eyes began bugging out of her head as her mother embarrassingly began stripping in front of them…

"MOM…!" Sakura roared.

She launched at her to try to stop her but was met with similar force. The two locked hands as they entered into a test of strength. Another evil smirk crossed her lips as she said, "Oh come on… You know how I like having fun with _cuties_ like your friends!"

"You… can't…! They're… too young for you!" Sakura argued.

Her mother became ticked. "What was tha~t!? Are you calling me an old hag!?"

"N-no," Sakura wavered. "I never… Wait…! When did you ever hear me say old hag!?"

They continued on this way for some time. It finally came to an end when Ryuubi kindly interrupted to ask for the bath.

They directed her with Sakura's mother adding, "Oka~y…! Bath time! Everyone into the bath!"

"No, mom!!" Sakura growled.

_Everything was dark. There was no light to be found, but then a glimmer of light shone through. It took a specific shape and began duplicating. Soon, pasted against the background of darkness, these "lights" were everywhere in a certain pattern. They began changing again. It wasn't long before they began to resemble eyes. They changed even more as the bright white light turned to red in a specific area, the __iris__. Several of them began to look familiar. All resembled the Sharingan, Sasuke's sharingan, but there was an exception. One pair of eyes was those of the mysterious red-eyed man that had attacked him…_

Naruto jolted awake in a cold sweat. He couldn't explain why but he felt strangely ill. He threw off the covers and left his room. He entered the closest restroom to splash some water on his face. He was starting to feel better except for the strange ill feeling he was having.

He made his way through the cool hall once more on the way back to his room. He scratched the back of his head as he stood, staring at his vacant bed. He wanted to go back to sleep, it had gotten dark while he slept, but something didn't feel right at the moment. He enjoyed his nap and was looking forward to finishing it through the night, but he couldn't seem to shake this uneasy feeling he was getting.

Instead of hopping back into bed and closing his eyes until sleep found him, Naruto grabbed his regular clothes and slipped them on. He left his room once again but wouldn't be returning anytime soon. Leaving the tower, Naruto began walking around the town, taking in the nightlife activity around him. He continued until the big full moon caught his eye. The light from it hit his eyes and got them to shine in an eerily beautiful way.

Naruto smiled at how enchanting the moon looked, but this was replaced with a cringe. His uneasy feeling from before had grown even stronger. Naruto shook it off and continued his walk. As he was passing, his attention suddenly shifted to the hospital. With what the time must have been, Naruto knew that visiting hours were likely over, but he headed there anyway…

He got close to the door and could see movement inside. From the looks of it, there was some state of panic. Immediately, Naruto scaled the building, heading directly for his grandfather's room. As he reached the window, he remained hidden but peeked in. he could see a few more people behaving frantically and began worrying. When it was all over and things calmed down, Naruto watched as… the blanket was completely pulled over Jiraiya… This was a sign… that he had died…

* * *

**End of chapter…**

The legendary hermit, Jiraiya… has died…

Witnessing it first hand, how will Naruto, or anyone else the legend was close to, react?

Next chapter**:** The end of a legend…


	23. Endless Tears

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

* * *

**Recap:**

The Leaf's mission to capture the Uchiha brothers ended in failure, but they were lucky enough to save their own living legend. This was the best that they could hope for, but... the legendary hermit, Jiraiya… has died. How will the Leaf Village react to their tragic loss?

* * *

**Endless Tears**

Naruto's eyes quivered at the sight before him. Through the window, he peered into his grandfather's hospital room to see him being fully covered, signifying his death. The rest of his body followed suit as it began to shiver from the shock of seeing his grandfather's death. He was even more shocked to see Tsunade break down inside as well. He lost control and his grip on the ledge weakened. Unaware of it, he began plummeting to the earth… crashing into it…

Bath time had come to an end. Because their bath wasn't big enough for everyone, and Sakura's mother had suggested it, they took the party to the local bathhouse. It was all Sakura could do to keep her mother at bay. She wasn't the only one that was a bit out of control. Yuuki and Ryuuri seemed to have made a competition of who had grown more into a beautiful young lady…

"Hah…! Looks like I win," Yuuki proudly claimed, looking down her nose at Ryuuri.

Unable to accept defeat, Ryuuri pointed out, "You barely won… but you're no match against my sister."

Yuuki's focus shifted to the blushing young woman. As she tried to cover herself, Yuuki claimed, "Yeah, well… I bet she isn't a match for Hinata…!"

"_How did we get dragged into this?"_ both blushing girls wondered.

"Come here!" Yuuki and Ryuuri demanded.

Before things could get out of hand, Ryuubi tried to be the first to exit the bath. As she did, she received a shock as she was startled by a sudden strange sensation. Someone had run their finger down her back.

She turned back as Sakura exclaimed, "Mom…! Control yourself!"

With a big smile, she said, "You have such beautiful skin… and you look so adorable with that tail of yours."

"Tha-… thank you…"

She looked at her and could tell that there was something more to her than just the smile she was flashing. It actually creeped her out a bit. Ryuubi hurried out and quickly slipped on her robe. Ignoring a surprising yelp from Hinata and Sakura's scolding, that's when she noticed it…

A flustered Hinata exited next, saying, "I-i-is something wrong?"

The sun sprinkled onto a face with distinguishing whiskers. As the light broke through the thin blinds, blue eyes slowly opened and looked up at the ceiling. A moan of grogginess was released before the eyes shifted…

The young blonde tried to sit up but found it difficult. Looking around, he found that he was being pinned by other sleeping frames.

"Wha-…… what's… going on?" Naruto groggily questioned.

Seconds later, he recovered from his drowse and was somewhat surprised at what he saw. On his left arm, which wasn't surprising, was Yuuki, but on his right…

"R-… Ryuubi…?"

Hearing her name, she began to stir. She opened her eyes and looked into Naruto's. With a blush on her face, she greeted him, placed her hand on his cheek, and moved in closer…

"What the hell are you doing so early in the morning!" Yuuki exploded.

Everyone else awoke to the sight of Yuuki pushing Ryuubi's puckered face away from Naruto's. She finally gave up as Yuuki forced her way between the two. As she sat up, Naruto could finally get a good look around the room. Ryuuri was right behind her sister and Sakura and Hinata were leaning on each other against the wall behind him.

He pushed his sister off, asking, "What's going on here?"

Ryuubi spoke up, "We found you in a crater near the hospital. She and Sakura saw to it that you were alright, and we brought you here."

Naruto jumped up and began looking for the rest of his clothes when the door opened. In walked Sakura's mother, spouting, "If he's acting like this, maybe we should've left him there…"

"Mom…! He's my teammate and my friend!"

"Wait, is he… is he the one that's always doing those amazing things you're always talking about?" Sakura nodded, unsure of where her mother was going with this. She found out as she said, "Oh, so… do you plan on taking him as a mate?"

"Mo~m…!" Sakura had a crazed look on her face as she grinded her teeth.

She tried to shush her but nothing could stop this runaway train. "I suppose that he does look like he's got a nice physique. He's definitely a cute one… Come to think of it, with all you've told me about him, and the fact that he's from that _beast_-warrior clan… how would you like a little sister?"

Everyone was in a state of shock from this. Their mouths were gaped until Yuuki frantically claimed, "I-I-I'm… I'm her little sister!"

"Really?" Sakura's mother looked at her questioningly. "Okay, then… come here my cute little daughter…!" she accepted, opening her arms.

Hesitantly, Yuuki took her up on this. She soon regretted this when she was nearly crushed by the massive embrace of Sakura's mother. This wasn't all. She became very hands-y soon after.

No one paid the two any attention as Naruto continued getting dressed. He flew out the door, thanking the others as he did. They were quick to put on their clothes as well and followed after him. They were surprised to be right back at the hospital…

"Are we here to check on grandpa?" Yuuki asked.

Naruto didn't say a word. He walked in and headed directly to his grandfather's room. In the hall, they ran into Tsunade.

Seeing how cheery Yuuki was, Tsunade could tell that she hadn't heard the news. "How is he?" Yuuki cheerfully asked.

Tsunade, nor Naruto, would answer her. Before she could connect the appearing distress on Tsunade's face and the silence, she was ambushed. Tsunade grabbed a hold of the siblings and pulled them into a hug.

Sakura couldn't believe it. She started to back up as her master looked to the rest with sorrowful expression. She shut her eyes, and softly said, "I'm sorry…"

"What?" Yuuki was in disbelief.

Tsunade held the two, feeling every rough breath from Yuuki, but not from Naruto. He was like a statue, displaying no movement or emotion. Even so, Tsunade wouldn't let them go until she could hold on no more. This was just as much for her as it was for them.

Word got out of Jiraiya's passing, and, a few days later, a funeral was finally held for the "larger than life" legend. Since hearing of his death, Yuuki hadn't stopped crying, but, with his funeral behind them, she was beginning to dry up. She was still sad, but there were practically no more tears. Naruto, on the other hand, hadn't cried once, and it concerned those around him.

Many of his fellow shinobi offered their condolences, wishing him and his family the best. "It's sad that Master Jiraiya is gone… It must be tough losing your grandfather like this. I'm sorry for your loss."

Overhearing this, a middle-aged villager says, "Your grandfather died…? I'm sorry to hear that. You have my condolences."

As she and her male counterpart began to walk away, the guy responds by trying to quietly yell at her for what she had said. "What did you say that to that kid for! Don't you know who he is?"

She responds, "The poor boy just lost someone close to him. It doesn't hurt to be nice. Besides, he himself has never actually done anything too bad to the village."

Naruto didn't say a word about anything. Yuuki and the dragon sisters wanted to follow him as he tried to leave, but Tsunade suggested that they give him some time to deal with things on his own. Reluctantly, they agreed to allow this.

They went their separate ways. Hinata, her family, and a few escorts, made their way to the Sky Village. She had some matters of her own to deal with there. The dragon sisters disappeared to who knows where within the village. After the funeral they were never seen around the village. And Yuuki, whether she wanted it or not, was accompanied by Sakura wherever she went.

"You really don't have to keep me company, Sakura… I'm fine," she told her.

"It's… it's nothing really… It's the least I can do…"

"That's nice to hear, but, seriously… I'm fine… I think I'm all cried out. Losing my grandpa doesn't hurt as much as before…"

Even though she was saying this, Sakura knew that it wasn't quite as she was saying. For a great deal of Yuuki's life, Jiraiya, her grandfather, was all she had in this world. Of course losing him would impact her greatly.

"I… may not have lost anyone I love the way you have, but… I can understand how you might be feeling now." Yuuki didn't respond. Seeing her big blue hurt-filled eyes, Sakura tried again. "You've always thought of me as something like a big sister, right…? Well, this might not help, but… you've still got me… and you've got Lady Tsunade and your grandmother as well. More importantly… you've still got your brother and several more people here in the village, your home. I guess what I'm trying to say is… both you and your brother have people that care and will always be there for you, so… you don't have to hide or bury your feelings."

Seeing Sakura open her arms, Yuuki threw herself at her. With her face buried in her chest, Yuuki let out all the tears she hadn't so far. Sakura's mother kept her distance and proudly watched from the shadows. She didn't want to ruin this touching moment, but she would be sure to prove Sakura's claims.

While Sakura and Yuuki were getting down to the last of their feelings, Tsunade immersed herself into her work. While she focused on what message Jiraiya could have written on Fukasaku's back, she had as much man-power as she could spare on finding out as much information on the monster responsible for her dear friend's death.

There was a knock at the door. Tsunade allowed entrance, and in came Shizune and Hitomi. She handed her a pad, the same that Jiraiya had been using in the hospital, and said, "When I paid him a visit, he was writing something… but he hadn't finished it. But now… there's more," she pointed out.

Tsunade looked over the pad. Reading it, she found some much needed information on the Akatsuki's leader, Pein… but it ended, _"The real one…"_

This must have been all he managed before he was interrupted by someone or sleep. It was confusing, but at least they now knew of the six bodies that composed "Pein" and a hint of their abilities.

While everyone was finding a way to cope with their loss, Naruto did his best as well, but, by his appearance, he wasn't fairing too well. He frightened many people as he walked through the streets with his odd differing eyes, one gold and one red, and devilish horns protruding from his skull. Everyone was sure to stay clear of his path… everyone that is, except for…

"Hey, Naruto!" a cheery voice called out to him. "Seems like things have been a little hectic for you lately. How about we unwind and talk about things over some ramen. It's been ages," Iruka suggested.

Naruto barely lifted his drooping head, but did just enough to look into his former sensei's eyes and dully say, "No thanks…"

Iruka felt a cold sensation as Naruto walked by him. As he walked away, Iruka watched his back, thinking, _"He's hurting even more than he's showing…"_

Naruto returned to his room. He changed out of the clothes he wore to the funeral and rested on his bed. His back against the wall, he looked to the ceiling. Even when the door opened, he was slow to react. His posture and expression hadn't changed when Yuuki and Hitomi entered. Yuuki could see that her brother was in pain. She smiled at him as she approached. Even after she hugged him tightly, there was no change. Hitomi could tell that he was very devastated. It would be hard to get him back to his cheerful and energetic self… but she would try.

"Naruto… how are you holding up?" she asked. There was no response. "You can talk to me about it… if you'd like. It might help you feel better."

Her eyes widened as Naruto made a motion. He sat up, away from the wall. Could it be that he finally wanted to express how he felt…?

"It's all her fault… It's all that granny's fault for sending him on something like that…! If she hadn't… then…"

"Stop it, Naruto!" Hitomi let out a sigh. "I'm sure that Tsunade didn't mean to send him into such a situation, nor did she want to. In fact… I'm sure that she argued for him to stay, or take backup with him… but you know your grandfather… he can be a bit stubborn at times…"

Clinching his fists, Naruto spoke, "Ma-… Maybe you're right… The guys responsible for this… I'll make them pay!"

Hitomi could understand how he felt and wanted to keep him from doing anything rash or foolish. Still wanting to break through this hard exterior, Hitomi continued, "I'm sure that, at this time, we're both having similar thoughts and feelings on your grandfather's death… We both would like nothing more than to kill the bastards responsible for this…… but we can't allow anything like that to control us. I'm not telling you that you should shut off your feelings and emotions like a shinobi is supposed to… not in the least. You should embrace these feelings so that you can eventually grow stronger from them and put them behind you… When you do, you will understand the world a little more."

She took his clenched fist in her hands and lovingly rubbed it gently. As she looked into his eyes with her own soft expression, she was happy to see his horns receding. She reached out and kissed him on the forehead, saying, "Remember… you still have those who love and care for you deeply, and more are appearing everyday. You're not alone, and never will."

After a moment to let her words sink in, Naruto spoke up, "I… I'm… I'm gonna… go out for a while. I'll be back a little later…"

Hitomi allowed him. He got up from the bed and walked by his teary-eyed sister out the door. Once again, he found himself walking around town, contemplating what was in-store next. For an unknown reason, he just stopped. He lifted his head to find an open store and entered. He came out with a familiar popsicle that reminded him of his time spent with his master, his grandfather, Jiraiya. A faint smile came to his face as he recalled how Yuuki would always go on a rampage because there were only two and he and his grandfather would always take them for themselves.

As he sat on a nearby bench, he couldn't bring himself to actually eat it. As it melted, the liquid snack wasn't the only thing dripping to the ground. Naruto's feelings finally came rushing out to the surface. The scene of him finally expressing his emotions was even too much for the passerbys as they, even though they didn't know why he was reacting this way, felt for him.

Eventually, one of these passerbys happened to be Iruka, on a stroll. He greeted him and began, "That seems like such a waste," referring to the melting popsicle.

Naruto simply looked at him, golden eyes and tears shimmering in the moonlight. Iruka's opening line hadn't gotten him anywhere. He was gonna get right into it, but Naruto spoke himself. "I wanted him to keep watching over me… I wanted him to see me become Hokage, maybe have a family of my own and be proud to be a great-grandpa… All he ever got to see… was how troublesome I could be…"

"That you were," Iruka agreed. "Trouble definitely found you easily, but, despite that… Master Jiraiya praised you constantly. You were his new apprentice with a great deal of potential. On top of that, you were his grandson. He had faith in you and knew that, one day, you would become a man greater than himself… and an even greater Hokage... You wanted him to continue watching over you, but I'm sure that, even now, he still is somewhere. So… be the same you that he would always praise and be proud of, and I'm sure he'll happily watch you 'til the end." Iruka took one of the sticks of the popsicle and, as he split them in two, said, "You've always been amazing, so… continue your amazing show… for master Jiraiya."

Naruto's eyes had cleared up. He was even smiling a little as he thanked his father-like figure, Iruka. They sat there, finished their popsicles, and went their separate ways.

When Naruto returned to his room, Yuuki was happy, a little misty but happy, to see him in a better mood. She hoped that this would continue and they could return to how things once were, more or less.

Yuuki wasn't the only one happy to see Naruto cheer up a bit. Ryuubi, and even Ryuuri, felt at ease after trailing him all day. Not wanting to ruin the mood, they decided to return to Sakura's place, where they were properly scolded for coming in at some random time of night.

The next morning, Tsunade woke up early to get back to the investigation. She assigned many people specific tasks to complete as quickly as possible. Ibiki and his group would be charged with interrogating the shinobi captured from the Rain Village, Shizune and her group of Medic-nins would hope to find out a little more about Pein by performing an autopsy on the corpse brought back from Jiraiya's encounter, and, a very sleepy, Shikamaru was given a picture of the code on Fukasaku's back to take to the Code-breakers. He would lend them a hand in deciphering it. When everyone was out taking care of their assignments, the first calm moment of solitude managed to bring forth a great deal of emotions she had buried. She let it all out as she quietly cried on her desk…

Shikamaru had done what he had been tasked, but it was no use. The code-breakers couldn't decipher anything. Shiho, one of the code-breakers, informed Shikamaru that they would need the key to accurately crack the code. This would be something or someone that may have known something more personal about Jiraiya and his ways. This was all he needed…

Shikamaru returned to the Hokage Tower, thinking, _"I hope I don't run into the Hokage and she thinks that I'm incompetent or something… That'd be a drag."_

Shikamaru rounded the corner and was surprised at who he had run into. He tensed up, to Sakura's, and the dragon sisters', surprise. She asked him what was wrong, but he replied, "Nothing," and went on his way.

The girls followed him to Naruto's room where he knocked on the door. It was opened by a sleepy Naruto, and, in the background, a stretching Yuuki could be seen…

"Not fair,_"_ Ryuubi quietly claimed, puffing out her cheeks.

"What's up?" he dully greeted.

"I need you two to come with me."

"What…? But why? I was gonna sleep-in today," he whined.

"I've already tried Kakashi, so I've come to you now," Shikamaru told them, handing Naruto the picture.

Naruto looked at it, but Shikamaru couldn't tell if he was out of it because he was still tired or if he was just being difficult. "Come with me," Shikamaru suggested. Maybe a little walk would get Naruto's gears turning…

Sakura would have to stay put in case her master needed anything, but Shikamaru surprisingly led them to the hospital…

As they waited, Naruto drifted into his own world. He remembered that when the 3rd died, the old man that was like his first real grandfather, anger took hold, and he wanted to vent it on any and everything. That all changed when Jiraiya began to spend more time with him, his second grandfather that he was getting to know. When he got a sister, things just seemed to get better from there, more or less, but now…

"Here she comes…"

Naruto snapped out of it, saying, "Huh…! Kurenai sensei? What happened--? When did you--? No…! Don't tell me! I don't want to know!"

"It's a baby, Naruto," Shikamaru said.

Kurenai had become much larger than she had been. It was a surprise to those that hadn't seen her in so long…

"A baby…!" Yuuki and Ryuubi became giddy.

As she and Yuuki felt Kurenai's belly, Ryuubi looked to Naruto saying, "I can't wait to have a few of my own some day."

Naruto comically reacted by averting his gaze and whistling a random tune, pretending he hadn't heard a thing or know what she was talking about.

He was drawn back by Kurenai suddenly saying, "Stop coming here everyday, Shikamaru."

He replied by saying that he couldn't because, one day, the kid she was carrying, Asuma's child, would one day be his student. It's what he was entrusted with.

He then said, "You should know, I lost my master too, so, I have some idea of what you're going through. Believe me when I say, you'll get nowhere by screwing around the way you are. You can't afford to do that anymore. Not in the position you're in now. We've both been entrusted with things from our masters, so, it's about time we become the ones who lead instead of follow. It may be a pain in the ass, but we can't really allow ourselves to feel that way… Someday… you'll be the sensei and the one treating to ramen. We can't stay kids forever… Not if we want to be as cool as Asuma and Jiraiya…"

This seemed to spark something in Naruto. It did with the others as well. Ryuuri thought, _"He's pretty cool himself…"_

Kurenai smiled at hearing Shikamaru. As she left, she said, "Alright… I'll leave you to what you have to do, _Shikamaru sensei_…"

Shikamaru's smirk disappeared and was replace with a blush. "Hey, don't do something unnecessary… It's such a drag…"

"Right, right," she said, waddling away.

With her gone, Naruto asked to see the photo once more. He and his sister looked at it carefully as they were led to a place they'd never really noticed before. Inside, they found Shiho, a code-breaker, waiting for them. From the moment they entered, the twins hadn't taken their eyes off of the photo…

With a moan from the two, Shikamaru said, "You've been looking at that for a while now. Has anything come to you yet?" He got another low moan from them. "I've already tried Kakashi, and I don't really want to have to take it to the 5th with the way she's been lately, so, I'm hoping that Jiraiya left this code for you…!"

Shiho spoke up, "If anything catches your eye, no matter how minute, please… let us know. Anything could be a big help."

"Well… now that you mention it…"

"There's something strange about this code," Yuuki finished.

"What is it?"

Naruto mentioned, "Why are there all these numbers but there's this single katakana?"

Shikamaru and Shiho looked confused as the dragon sisters tried to take a better look as well. Yuuki pointed it out, what everyone else had mistaken as the number nine. The twins revealed that, upon closer investigation, it was a strange quirk that Jiraiya seemed to have. This was the breakthrough they had been waiting for. Now, all that remained was to decipher the code. The next phase, checking the books Jiraiya had written, would be handled by Kakashi, who just happened to be passing by with one in his possession…

They lucked out, as this was the very book that they would need to check. It was a long and painful process, but they finally got something out of their attempt. Shiho read back the first word of each line, "The… real one… isn't there…"

Although they had cracked the code, its message was too vague to comprehend. The best thing to do know, as suggested by Kakashi, was to run it by Fukasaku in hopes that he could shine a light on things.

The message was shown to Fukasaku, but he had no clue either. "Really…?" Naruto questioned. "Well… this is no good then. Even though I was there too, I can't make anything out of this."

"What!" Tsunade exclaimed. "You were there!"

Naruto looked a little confused as he nodded his head. Everyone was surprised to hear this…

"_That's_ where you disappeared to…? I thought you had simply gotten Jiraiya when he was retreating…!" Kakashi stated.

"What did you see?" Tsunade questioned.

"Uh… I don't know. I wasn't really there for too long… The place was a wreck. I could tell that there was a huge battle there…"

"That's it! That musta been where Jiraiya-boy an' I last were!" Fukasaku claimed. "Ya musta just missed me!"

Naruto blinked like he was lost, but he continued, "When I found grandpa, he was in pretty bad shape. I tried to get him out of there, but these guys in Akatsuki cloaks showed up. I managed to give them the slip and get grandpa to safety…"

"Where you showed up in front of us," Kakashi finished. "But… you were a little beat up as well. You must've fought them yourself. Maybe you can give us a little more…"

"Well… there were," Naruto began counting on his fingers, "six guys… Five of them were in Akatsuki cloaks, but there was a strange guy with red eyes that wasn't wearing a cloak, or a shirt for that matter."

"The sharingan?" Kakashi inquired.

"No… It definitely wasn't the sharingan."

"What about their abilities?"

"Hmm… It's kind of… hard to explain. It was like," he motioned and made the sound effects for an explosion.

No one really understood what he was trying to say, and Naruto couldn't find the right words to describe what he'd witnessed. This proved to be no more useful than anything else they had already managed to learn.

Not that everything left by Jiraiya was useless. He had left a pad with some hints of the abilities he'd encountered in his fight with Pein, almost in the same manner as Naruto just had, but Tsunade couldn't imagine what these were. She hoped that she wouldn't have to find out however.

_****Akatsuki lair****_

"There seems to have been some delay," Madara stated.

"I had an unexpected guest, the legendary Jiraiya," Pein, revealed.

"No wonder then… I guess his title was well-earned if he gave the invincible Pein a hard time."

Konan sat quietly, but it could be seen, just barely, that she didn't like Madara's tone. Pein mentioned that he was going to get back to hunting the Nine-tails, and Madara informed them that the Eight-tails would be taken care of as well.

Getting up from his seat, he warned, "The Leaf will be on guard after your encounter with Jiraiya. The more time that passes, the more likely it is that they come up with something… Move quickly but be smart."

Konan spoke up, "Pein is invincible… He'll surely capture the Nine-tailed fox, no matter what. Instead, you should be more concerned with the one you sent after the Eight-tails. Do you think he's up to the task?"

"It took some convincing, but… I can vouch for Sasuke."

"Then… we'll do our job," Pein stood to his feet. "Get ready Konan… We're heading for the Leaf Village."

As they left, all Pein bodies including a new female one and Konan, Madara was left alone… or so it would seem.

"Will you be going along?" Madara questioned.

"Hmm… Nah," the red-eyed man responded, revealing himself. "If he succeeds, he'll be bringing the kid back, so… no skin off my back. I'll take what I need when he returns," he flashed a smile that could be construed as him having a malevolent intent.

"_I may have to watch my back with this guy,"_ Madara figured.

* * *

**End of chapter…**

The legend known as Jiraiya is laid to rest and those closest to him look to come to terms with their feelings…

From here on, focus shifts back to the tailed-beasts and how to keep them from the Akatsuki…

Next chapter: Heading down the path…


	24. Forked Path: Right and Left

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

* * *

**Recap:**

The legend known as Jiraiya is laid to rest and those closest to him look to come to terms with their feelings. Many focus on finding answers to the approaching crisis that they will eventually have to face, the abduction of the tailed-beasts...

* * *

**Forked Path: Right and Left**

_****Lightning Country****_

"So~… where is he?" Suigetsu asked after roughing up a Cloud shinobi.

"I… I told you already… I have no intention of telling the likes of you… no matter what you do to me!" he responded.

"Oh… Then maybe we should take things up a notch," Suigetsu stated, flashy a toothy grin.

Before he could act on this threat, Sasuke stepped forward, saying, "A fearful heart can be exploited."

Suigetsu was commanded to back-off. The Cloud-nin wondered what horrible things may be in-store for him next. He watched Sasuke carefully. Without realizing it, he was fixated on Sasuke's right eye. His sharingan changed form, and, before he knew, the Cloud-nin was having an "out-of-body" experience. The likes he would never forget as long as he lived.

With the information about the Eight-tailed host gathered, Sasuke and his team, "Hawk" as they were now called, set out for Unraikyo…

At Unraikyo, a figure emerged from the dark inner workings of the mountains. He wore the same outfit that most Cloud shinobi tended to wear on his brown frame with a scarf around his neck and swords on his back. Even though he was wearing dark sunglasses, he complained about the sunlight as soon as he stepped out.

Out in the sun, he was surprised to find a few people he didn't know. "Are you the host of the Eight-tailed beast?" the dark-haired guy in the black and red cloak asked.

"That didn't sound right. I think you should show a little more respect and say, _'Mr.'_, _kid_," he responded.

"That isn't important because… I'll be taking you in," he came back.

"Hah… I'd like to see you try…"

"Let's go," the guy ordered. "Suigetsu, you go right… Juugo, you take the left… Karin… stay back."

The others did as they were told. The big orange-haired guy went left, the light-haired guy went right, and the guy that was barking orders was coming from the front. As they approached, cautiously at first, the Eight-tails' host didn't stress over it. The entire time, he kept his stance with his arms crossed, open to the world, so to speak.

A bit miffed that they weren't being taken seriously, Suigetsu attacked first. He launched at the larger opponent, his sword in hand, and swung with a great deal of power behind his attack.

As the earth rumbled and parted and dirt and dust clouded the area, Juugo commented, "Weren't we told not to kill him?"

"Don't worry… I can still feel his chakra," Karin cleared up.

As the dust dissipated, it could be seen that Suigetsu and their target was locked in a struggle. Even so, he remarked, "I was busy when you guys showed up. That's not cool. The only one who gets to interrupt me… is me, Killer Bee."

"What?" Suigetsu questioned.

"Get outta my way, stupid, or I'll punch you stupid!" Killer Bee claimed, before ripping Suigetsu sword from him.

From here, Juugo took over. His "cursed" body transformed. His entire left arm resembled a double-bladed scythe and he attacked. Coming in from the left, he slashed but hit nothing but air. His target had shifted to his right but he pursued. He would try again, only to be blocked this time…

"That bastard…!" Suigetsu exclaimed. "He's using my weapon!"

Juugo continued to try and force his way through Bee's defense, but it was matched. Then, suddenly, the blade was shifted, allowing Juugo's attack through. Once again, this resulted in nothing for him however. Killer Bee had slipped underneath this attack and followed up with a hard punch to Juugo's gut. The power and force of the blow was strong enough to cause him to immediately drop to the ground…

Standing tall in victory, Killer Bee proudly proclaimed, "I've got energy to spare and sparkling charm. The Big Bad Bee, you weaklings can't harm. Rockin' the beat and you brats! Oh yeah!" Team Hawk had no idea what he was spouting, but, to their dismay, he continued, "Even before the battle gets heated, you'll be the ones defeated…!"

"My turn," Sasuke coolly, yet impatiently, interrupted.

Killer Bee shifted his stance with his arms out, mocking and beckoning Sasuke to try his luck. Juugo rolled to the side, catching Bee's attention. This allowed Sasuke to use his speed to slip in close. Swiftly slipping his sword from his sleeve, Sasuke barreled down on his target, but, like the times before, Killer Bee managed to find a way to block.

Using Suigetsu sword, he blocked Sasuke's. Swinging the hefty weapon with only one arm, he managed to turn Sasuke's attack away. The large blade struck the ground and Sasuke tried to take advantage. The target's entire right side was open.

Sasuke shifted, bypassed the sword, and delivered a kick to his head. He soon found that his opponent was much quicker than he looked. He slipped under his kick to deliver one of his one. Killer Bee too found out that he was dealing with a speedy opponent.

Sasuke had ducked under Bee's kick but was shocked to see the blade coming right at him. Sasuke had to act quickly but there wasn't much time to react. On impulse, he dropped to the ground, watching the blade fly right over him.

Although he avoided being sliced in half, Sasuke wasn't in the clear just yet. Killer Bee flipped the sword over and drove it directly at the downed Sasuke…

"SASUKE…!" Karin called out as dirt and dust filled the air from the attack.

"Was he done in?" Suigetsu questioned.

He and Juugo could only wonder what was happening in the annoying veil. Karin was a different story…

Sasuke had just managed to avoid being stabbed. He flipped back to his feet just as another chop was coming his way. With no time, he secured his own sword in the way to stop the attack. The power of the attack was too much, however. Sasuke was being pushed back. About to fall over, he leapt off of his feet. In a fluid motion, he then plunged his sword through an opening in Suigetsu's blade, halting its movement.

With this means of attack stopped, Sasuke had a split-second to take advantage. Still in the air, he kicked out, placing the base of his foot in Killer Bee's neck.

Seemingly unfazed, Bee whipped out his pencil and pad and began writing in it. Taken aback by this, Sasuke backed off, pulling up his sword and launching Suigetsu's out of the cloud of dust, surprising him.

"Heh-heh… I'm in a good mood. I was just able to write an awesome rhyme. I'll be sure to thank you brat, by putting you down for a nap…"

Though he retained his composure, it could be seen that Sasuke was a bit annoyed by Killer Bee's response to the situation. The dust finally cleared and Team Hawk could now see everything.

Seeing Killer Bee reach for the weapons at his back, Suigetsu warned, "Watch out, Sasuke! He's experienced with swords! He isn't your average opponent!"

After tossing his swords up into the air, and catching them in an awkward-looking stance, Killer Bee threatened, "Now you're gonna feel my hooks."

"Wha-… What's with that…?" Suigetsu wondered.

As Sasuke raised his guard, Killer Bee launched himself. He flipped through the air, turning into a ball of spikes. Sasuke jumped back to avoid being skewered, but Killer Bee kept it up. Sasuke was being forced back more and more as he tried to avoid being slashed by Bee and his unorthodox style of fighting.

The clanging of their blades echoed throughout the valley as the two continued to mix it up. As their struggle continued, it was beginning to look one-sided. Sasuke just couldn't seem to find a way to battle against Killer Bee this way. He finally activated his sharingan with perfect timing, avoiding having one of his eyes gouged out.

Although he had used this technique, it didn't seem to help him as Bee's swift, acrobatic flips and seemingly random slashes got through. He was easily being overwhelmed and outmatched.

Feeling that it was all he could manage in his situation, Sasuke tried to back off. He knew that he wouldn't be let off the hook so easily, however, and focused on protecting himself. He watched Bee's movements carefully, trying not to allow himself any mistakes or openings. While focusing on Bee's swords, he had made a great mistake…

While Sasuke's eyes followed the twirling blades, Killer Bee sprang forth and delivered a dropkick to his chest. Sasuke roughly rolled through the dirt until he came to a stop a few feet away from his team.

"Sasuke…! Are you alright?" Karin called.

He loudly grunted as he got back to his feet. Not to be intimidated or defeated so easily, Sasuke charged in for round two…

"Hey, is this really best…?" Suigetsu questioned. "I couldn't even read that guy's moves just now. Will Sasuke be alright doing this alone?"

Karin let out a low growl as she continued to watch. As Sasuke closed in, his team took notice of his hand-seals. His hand became electrically charged as he took hold of his sword. He quickly channeled it into his sword as he attacked. As they crossed their blades, a _shock_ was in-store for one of them…

"I… float like a butterfly… and _sting_ like a bee! 'Cause I'm Killer Bee, the Eight-tailed beast!" he proclaimed.

Suddenly, Sasuke found himself turning into a pin-cushion. Sasuke's team was horrified as, not one but six swords penetrated his body. This horror gripped on tighter as Killer Bee called for a finish.

A timely rescue presented itself, at this time. Suigetsu managed to block Bee's sword with his own. With these turn of events, Bee began channeling electricity into his sword, just as Sasuke before.

His blade was being cut through. To this, Suigetsu thought, _"Crap…! He even uses Lightning-based attacks…! I'm no good against Lightning-based attacks…!"_

Seeing that they were on the losing end, Sasuke finally got with the program. He placed his hand to Suigetsu's blade and supported him with his own Lightning-based attack.

Killer Bee's progress was halted instantly. Before he could try and come up with another method, Juugo attacked from behind. He had lucked out. With the enemy distracted, Juugo transformed, monstrous fist smashed Bee and sent him a ways away.

With time now, Karin swooped in and dragged Sasuke away.

As Karin saw to Sasuke, pulling out the swords in his body, she thought, _"That guy streamed his chakra, too…!"_

As she pulled out the last and looked at it, she could see Bee in the distance. He looked at his broken blade and shrugged it off. She had to hurry before he tried to finish what he had started…

Rolling up her sleeve, she said, "Hurry up and bite me, Sasuke!"

As he sunk his teeth into her flesh, adding a new mark to her body, Karin held back as she let out an erotic yelp. Almost immediately, Sasuke's wounds, the cuts on his arms and cheek and his punctured skin, began to heal. Once done, he thanked her for her help.

Seeing that their leader was back on his feet, Suigetsu suggested, "Let's all three go at him this time, Sasuke. He's already shown that he's insanely strong, so we shouldn't concern ourselves with not killing him. If we're going to come out of this one alive, we might just have to go all out!"

Taking it all in, Killer Bee analyzed what had happened so far. He had determined that Sasuke had saved himself from a fatal blow by redirecting his electricity through his body and that Karin could heal others by allowing them to suck her chakra.

"Who are you anyway? You idiots…?" Killer Bee sung.

"This is terrible," Suigetsu remarked. "Please tell me that this clown isn't really the guy we're after…!"

"It's the right guy," Sasuke assured.

Overhearing them, Killer Bee asked, "You've been looking for me…? Why? Who are you, huh?"

"You don't need to know," Sasuke replied, copping an attitude.

"Aw, man… What a hassle," Suigetsu complained. "Why couldn't it have been someone else that _didn't_ do all those weird poses and raps…? What's even more annoying is that this guy is freakin' strong."

"It's all so we can get our hands on his power. If you don't like it, then you're free to leave," Sasuke bluntly stated.

With a sour look on his face, Suigetsu thought, _"Isn't that _your_ goal, not ours…?"_

"I want to find out the deal with these _beasts_ everyone and Akatsuki is after," Sasuke claimed.

"_Akatsuki…?"_ Killer Bee picked up on.

"Either way, _we'll_ be the ones using them. Get that into your heads."

This seemed to revitalize his team. This was especially impressive to Karin. _"He's so cool. I knew it. He isn't the type to be someone's pawn." _

With a bit of an attitude of his own, Suigetsu said, "Fine…! Let's just shut this guy up already… I'm tired of his _routine_."

Killer Bee came back, "It's not a _routine_! They're stylish rhymes, idiot! Oh yeah!"

"H-… he really pisses me off!" Karin weakly growled.

"Let's get this over with," Sasuke demanded.

With this, the next round commenced. Bee showed more of his acrobatic skills as he flipped his way over to his opponents. Juugo was the first he had reached. With his monstrously transformed fist, Juugo tried to, once more, pound the target into the ground with all he had. He was effortlessly tossed aside. Suigetsu was next. Bee simply flipped over his swinging blade. Sasuke tried next. As Bee was landing, Sasuke kicked him in his shoulder. Once again, Bee shrugged it off and went on the offensive. Sasuke managed to keep the short distance between them until Juugo returned, threatening to hammer Bee into the ground this time. Without showing any signs that he was aware, Killer Bee avoided being smashed and elbowed Juugo in the chest. As Juugo fell back, Killer Bee focused on Sasuke. He went right from an elbow, in Juugo's chest, to a punch aimed at knocking Sasuke's head off his shoulders…

Sasuke was saved from this by Suigetsu shielding him with his body. Killer Bee's fist passed right through him but became stuck. With this, Sasuke was given his cue to attack with Chidori. He did so, successfully this time.

As the shock overwhelmed him, Killer Bee dropped to his knee. Sasuke quickly got Suigetsu out of harms way as both, he and Suigetsu, avoided being hammered into the ground, unlike Killer Bee… or so they thought…

Standing alone in the crater he had made, Juugo wondered where the target had disappeared to. What he didn't know was that Bee had managed to slip away…

Peaking at them from behind a large rock-formation, Bee planned, _"They're all a pain in the ass for being so weak. Gonna go home and drink, yeah! Done playin' 'cause these guys stink, yeah!"_

Just as he was about to be on his way, Killer Bee noticed the young woman of his pesky company suddenly point in his direction. Finding out that she was a "sensor-type", he felt that it just wasn't his day.

He then found it strange that Sasuke was sitting in Juugo's enlarged palm. He soon found out why as he was launched in his direction.

Seeing him flying right at him, Killer Bee proclaimed, "Alright! HERE COMES NUMBER EIGHT! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

As Sasuke quickly approached, he began to get a sinking feeling. It was one that he was sinking in a great lake of an ominous presence. He shortly realized why this was as Killer Bee's body begun to be enveloped in strangely familiar-looking chakra. As it bubbled up and took form around Bee, Sasuke knew that he was in deep trouble. Unfortunately, there was no way for him to change course or even stop…

Bee launched himself at Sasuke, aiming to hit him with a clothesline. Timing it perfectly, Sasuke managed to slip by Killer Bee's attack, just barely, by twisting and turning and rotating his body to flip over.

Seeing this, Killer Bee became more excited as he thought, _"Heh… Not since my brother has anyone avoided this attack." _

Not sweating the small stuff, Killer Bee continued on his path. This time, his target was the rest of Sasuke's meddlesome team…

Thanks to Juugo, quickly snatching them up, the team avoided a serious disaster. If he hadn't, like the area they once stood atop, they would have been blown to bits. A few errant chunks of rocks were sent streaking through the air, and, with enough force, hurt Juugo, causing him to drop Suigetsu and nearly do the same with Karin.

Safe enough, they splashed-down into the body of water below. Sasuke was relieved that they hadn't been crushed by the target's destructive attack. Whether he realized it or not, Sasuke and his team came to think of how destructively powerful and fast their target was.

"_But he only moves straight… I shouldn't have any trouble seeing him with these eyes,"_ Sasuke thought. _"But just in case…"_ Sasuke called out, "Karin! I want you to feel his chakra and predict his movements! Keep a lock on him and let us know where he is at all times!"

Just as he finished, in an explosive fashion, Killer Bee emerged, exclaiming, "If you can make it in time!"

Sasuke's eyes widened as Killer Bee was only a few mere feet away. As if it was an automatic response, Sasuke's sharingan switched over to its Mangekyou Sharingan form. About five yards out, Killer Bee suddenly stopped in his tracks. He crashed to the ground, not even able to break, or soften, his fall and slid by Sasuke a few more feet.

Sasuke let out a sigh of relief. In an instant, he had placed a genjutsu on Killer Bee to disable him, and it worked. He then felt a sharp pain in his right eye. As he reached up to grab his head and cover it, he was surprised by a sudden blitz. Unexpectedly, Killer Bee had broken out of the illusion, closed in the few feet between them, and connected with a devastating lariat that tore the flesh from Sasuke's chest.

From Karin and Juugo's point of view, with the form of the strange chakra, Killer Bee's attack resembled a bull goring Sasuke. As his blood and his body flew, Sasuke's team could feel a familiar sensation sneaking up on them. The horror and terror that Sasuke had been defeated and that they would be next quickly sunk in.

This feeling began to latch-on as Bee proudly wailed, "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Juugo shook it off and rushed to Sasuke's aid. He and Karin found that the skin on his neck and chest had been destroyed. To make up for it and help him recover, this time, Juugo took responsibility. Determined not to lose him, he began melding his own flesh and chakra onto Sasuke's body.

While they were doing this, Bee furthered his transformation and increased his power, claiming, "In order to break a genjutsu, you need a partner to disturb the chakra to snap you out of it. My partner just so happens to be the beast within. Genjutsu won't work on a host who can control their tailed-beast." He then went on, "Your illusions and dreams, I shatter…! Now, it's time to cut the chatter! Single-horned, in my true form, you'll abhor my power…! Before the Eight-tailed beast, you'll all cower…!"

The entire time, Karin had watched as Killer Bee's chakra-tails increased and turned into eight tentacles. His size also began to rapidly increase. Before she knew it, there was a colossal monster, resembling a strange mix between a bull and octopus, stood before her and her team.

"Is-… is this… amount of chakra even possible…?" Karin shivered.

As she turned back, she was shocked to see Juugo in a more miniaturized form than she had gotten used to. This didn't help to reassure her that things would be alright for her and her team.

"GONNA BULLY YOU LONG, WITH MY LONG HORNS! WHEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"Th-th-th-this can't be p-p-possible!" Karin stuttered. She looked to notice Sasuke's eyes open. She then said, "We gotta get out of here, Sasuke! Hurry and get up!"

Sasuke sat up, wincing as he did. He noticed Juugo's new form who said, "I… can't let you die… You're… all I have… left… to… remember Kimimaro."

Karin tried to get them to pick up the pace so that they could get away before it was too late. They were cutting it close. Killer Bee was now going into an attack. There was nothing that they could do. Suddenly, an explosion of water distracted the colossal beast…

The wall of water turned out to be Suigetsu, mounting a distractive rescue attempt. This was the team's chance to retreat while he held the enemy back. As they tried to get away, Killer Bee wouldn't allow it. He began gathering a dark energy before him. As he focused it into a single blast, the massive wall of water was blown away.

With it now raining lake water, Team Hawk found Suigetsu floating towards them, not moving. Karin cursed their luck. Suigetsu was out of commission, Juugo was too puny to do anything, and Sasuke looked to be exhausted and nearly out of it himself. It looked as though there was no hope for them.

Seeing how concerned for everyone in their situation Karin was, Sasuke retreated back to all the times his misfit, ragtag team had saved him. Although he had assembled them with no other purpose than the one he had recently accomplished, they had been growing on him. They even reminded him of his former team. At times, Juugo was calm and collected, much like Sasuke's former sensei. Karin could be annoying at times with how she would be all over him and fighting with Suigetsu. This reminded him of Sakura and Naruto, and, like them, they have their good points and can be useful at times.

With destruction looming, Sasuke resolved that something had to be done. This was his last resort…

"_Amaterasu!"_

Blood dripped from Sasuke's left eye as he locked his sight on the charging monster bull. Before he knew it, the transformed Killer Bee was set ablaze in a glorious black flame. As the thrashed about, trying to extinguish the inextinguishable flames of Amaterasu, Juugo grabbed Suigetsu so that they could make a much needed retreat.

Sasuke suddenly stopped as the pain in his eye finally got to him. Sensing danger, Karin grabbed him and Juugo by their collars and tossed them out of harm's way. This shook Sasuke to the point that his awareness arose.

Seeing why Karin had done this, Sasuke acted. With his Chidori Spear, Sasuke cut the falling tentacle that was about to crush his teammate, saving her life. Saved for the moment, Karin rose to thank her savior but was blindsided by another tentacle.

The dark flame spread from this tentacle onto Karin. Rapidly, it began to engulf her, scorching her skin and slowly cooking her alive.

Juugo grabbed Sasuke, "Karin's done for! We have to get out of here!"

As weak as he currently was, Sasuke jerked away from Juugo. He focused on Karin and the black flames. He strained himself but, it seemed that he somehow extinguished the inextinguishable flames of Amaterasu with just a look. Ultimately, Karin's life was spared.

"Juugo…! Get Karin out!" Sasuke commanded.

Juugo did as he was requested, stretching his arm and pulling Karin out of the lake. All that remained was getting away while they could…

As they were about to make their retreat, their attention was captivated by the suffering beast that nearly caused their deaths. Its form began to shrink as its cries grew. Because of this, and out of curiosity, Sasuke sought to extinguish the flames covering their target as well.

Upon succeeding in doing so, he figured, _"I put out Amaterasu's flames… Is that the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan?"_

"It looks like he's still alive," Juugo relayed. "It looks like… we may not have to kill him… Let's grab him and get out of here."

They did so and left as quickly as they could…

Two Cloud-nin were hidden as they looked on. They stayed put, so as to not draw the enemy's attention…

"Is that… Master Killer Bee…?_"_ one quietly questioned.

"Wha-… what's going on? Isn't that the Akatsuki, the ones who took Yugito…?"

"Did they really defeat Master Killer Bee?"

Looking through a pair of binoculars, the other confirmed that it was indeed Killer Bee being wrapped in an Akatsuki cloak. He then discovered the symbol on the back of Sasuke's shirt, the Uchiha crest.

"No time to stand around chatting… We'd better tell Lord Raikage."

"His brother was just abducted. There's no way the Lord Raikage will let this slide. Should we rescue him?"

"They're Akatsuki… and they just took down Master Killer Bee… there's no way that we stand a chance. It's best we report it and allow the Lord Raikage to decide on what we do."

_****Leaf Village** **_

Everyone had their jobs. The twins, Naruto and Yuuki, were called away from their job of further deciphering Jiraiya's message. They were personally called to the Hokage's office. There, they would find out just what the reason for this was. As they entered the office, they were surprised to find the old frog, Fukasaku. With the autopsy and interrogation set to take some time, he decided to make a proposal…

Seeing how restless and impatient Naruto seemed to get to the bottom of this "Pein" mystery, Fukasaku spoke up, "If ya need somethin' ta distract ya fer a while… I got somethin' fer ya…"

"And… what is that?" Naruto raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"At first, Jiraiya-boy was just supposed ta investigate an' gather information, but things got outta hand… I can tell that'cha loved Jiraiya-boy very much… That's why I'm willing ta put my faith in ya just as he had." Naruto was hanging on his every word as he continued, "At that moment, I'll assume that'cha can't beat Pein right now… but I'll see ta it that'cha can, so… come with me. I'll train ya in the 'Sage Arts' at Myobokuzan, just like lil' Jiraiya."

With no words, just a serious look on his face, Naruto nodded to go along. Yuuki even volunteered to tagalong. With allowance from the Hokage, it was confirmed. The two would get the chance to try their luck at "Sage Arts".

Naruto sent his sister to begin packing. In the meantime, he would see to something else. With little effort, Naruto quickly found Konohamaru and had him follow him to one of the village's training grounds.

Naruto finally answered the question of why they were there. "Konohamaru… there's a jutsu I want to teach you." Konohamaru was curious as to what this was all about. Naruto answered, "It's time that I… become someone that leads instead of follows. I should pass things on to others for a change. I want to become a cool adult," he smiled in a cheesy manner. "Anyway… the jutsu I'm gonna teach you is on a whole new level from anything else I've already taught you."

Konohamaru looked confused. "Huh?" Something then came to him. _"Did he come up with something new? What kind of jutsu could it be? Is it some awesome, pervy jutsu?" _

Konohamaru began to get excited as his expectations shot through the roof…

"Okay… first step is _'Rotation'_."

Konohamaru's imagination took over. He imagined Naruto, transformed using his "Sexy Jutsu", spinning on a pole.

"Next… is _'Power'_."

Konohamaru's eyes nearly out of his skull as various _risqué _thoughts of what Naruto could mean by this popped into it.

"Lastly… you combine the first two steps and follow through with the third, _'Form Maintenance'_."

From this, Konohamaru thought of the female form and the best way to show and maintain how sexy and appealing it is.

Seeing the young Konohamaru's drooling expression, Naruto wondered just what he was thinking of. He painted Naruto a picture, which he took into consideration. Naruto then cleared up the little misunderstanding. Even though it wasn't what he originally expected, Konohamaru was just as interested to begin his training session with his master, Naruto.

Hours later Naruto returned. After gathering some of their things, the Uzumaki twins met their new master at the main gate. They all wished each other luck and would keep in contact.

"Alright… let's get going!" Naruto exclaimed.

Yuuki pumped her fist in agreement. As the two began to walk off, they suddenly stopped and turned to ask, "Uh… Which way… is it?"

Fukasaku informed them, "It would take a month ta reach it on foot. It's also called the 'Mountain of Wandering'. If ya don't know the secret route, it's impossible ta find."

"I don't think we have any time to spare, much less a month," Naruto stated, sounding dejected.

"Don't worry… Ya've both made a pact with tha toads. We'll be there before ya know it."

Before another word could be spoken, they disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "Reverse-summoning," Tsunade clarified.

As they walked back into the village, the dragon sisters talked amongst themselves…

"Shouldn't we have asked Naruto about _that_?_"_ Ryuuri questioned.

"No… It may have just been a coincidence. There's no way to be sure about it for now, so let's just…_"_

"Hey, you guys…! You're falling behind!" Sakura called out.

"W-… we're coming…!" Ryuubi shouted back.

* * *

**End of chapter…**

The Eight-tailed host has been captured, furthering the Akatsuki's plans…

Both Sasuke and Naruto choose their paths in which they will walk and grow…

**Next chapter:** The sky's the limit…


	25. Reaching for the Heavens

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"/Flashback_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

* * *

**Recap:**

The Eight-tailed host has been captured at Sasuke's whim. With this Akatsuki's plans are advanced with only one piece missing. How will Naruto and his side counter this and stave off a huge loss?

* * *

**Reaching for the Heavens**

****Akatsuki Base****

Kisame was walking about, but he was stopped. "Umm Kisame… I need to have a word with you."

"Ah, Tobi… I thought you were dead. Anyway, what is it? First Zetsu comes bothering me, now you…"

He apologized, "Sorry for breaking it to you this way, but, it seems, you'll be the last to know. I had to deceive you, even though you were one of the closest to me."

As he removed his mask, revealing his face, Kisame finally understood. "So that's how it was… With all the goofy acts, I never would've guessed that it was you… but I'm relieved because it just makes it easier for me to do what I do best, like old times… former Lord Mizukage… I mean… _Madara_."

Changing the tone of his voice, Madara replied, "That's good to hear. I'll be counting on you a great deal more now, Kisame."

He flashed a big grin as he responded, "The same goes for me as well."

The two then headed to a large room. There, they found Team Hawk waiting for them…

"I brought you the Eight-tailed beast like we agreed."

"Good job, Sasuke. I knew that you could do it." Madara said, taking the unconscious guest.

Sasuke made his way and flopped down in a seat as he was relieved of his duties. Realizing that something was odd with him, Madara questioned this. He replied, "Nothing… just… memories that I'm trying to forget keep seeping in."

Madara and Sasuke's team seemed intrigued by this. Seeing that he wasn't going to elaborate on things any further than he already had, Madara changed the subject, "Well… I'm gonna take care of this… unless you want to take me up on that offer now…"

Sasuke did nothing but look at him. Madara knew how Sasuke felt, _"What Itachi wanted to see and what I want to see are completely different. I can't do as he wished. I'll restore the clan in my own way."_ He took this to mean that he wasn't in the mood for it at the moment. With their business with each other done, for now, Madara disappeared, leaving Team Hawk to their much needed downtime.

_****Myobokuzan****_

It had been unexpected, but Naruto and Yuuki suddenly appeared in a land of mega flora and frogs and toads. The two were in awe.

"Ah… Yo, Naruto… Yuu…! It's been a while. Never thought I'd be the one summoning _you_ for a change."

With this, the two understood now. It had been a reverse-summoning. They were then led to a warm meal that was waiting for them. Once they saw it, they were no longer hungry…

Trying to be as respectful as she could be, Yuuki asked, "Uh… What… what is… this cra-… What is this?" she politely smiled.

"Don't it look good…! I pulled out all tha stops!" Shima proudly exclaimed.

"Re-… Really…?" they nervously twitched.

Not wanting to seem ungrateful, they indulged her so as to not upset her. Yuuki picked up a single grub and stared at it before throwing it into her mouth. Right away, she felt that she wouldn't be able to hold it down, much less strain herself trying to clear the table. Naruto took a different approach to this. He grabbed his entire bowl and downed it. The trouble was keeping it down however…

With their meal _finally_ done, the Uzumakis were taken to a waterfall area with many statues of giant frogs and toads around. They were in bad shape as they tried to keep their meal down, but they would have to suck it up as it was time to get to work.

"First… I'm gonna explain tha difference between ninja techniques an' sage techniques. As ya know, ninja techniques use tha energy within ya… but sage techniques use tha energy _around_ ya." Fukasaku further explained, "Ninja techniques use chakra born from tha _'spiritual'_ an' _'physical'_ energies inside ya. However… sage techniques take this a bit further. Ta that mix, _'natural'_ energy from tha outside is drawn in an' added, formin' a new, stronger chakra. With this, everything ya do is drastically enhanced. All in all… any technique used with tha combination of these three energies in mind is called a _'sage technique'_."

The twins looked to each other to see if one or the either could explain it in a more simplified manner. Realizing this, Gamakichi took a crack at it, "It's like how ice cream is made better when you add a third flavor to the two you already have."

To Fukasaku's surprise, the twins seemed to understand this explanation better than his. Ignoring how simplistic they must've been, Fukasaku continued, "_'Natural'_ energy is tha energy of tha atmosphere an' tha earth surroundin' ya…"

"The air and ground," Gamakichi simplified.

Figuring that if this needed to be kept up, Fukasaku thought it better to give a demonstration. He hopped over to one of the many giant toad statues and began gathering energy. Although they could not see it themselves, the Uzumaki twins could feel the change in the atmosphere and Fukasaku's chakra. They were then impressed when the tiny, average-looking amphibian did something not-so-small or average…

"H-… how's that…? _This_… is tha power of sage techniques," Fukasaku stated after impossibly lifting the large statue over his head. "_This_… is what the addition of _'natural'_ energy can do fer ya." As he, as gently as he could, set the statue down, the twins expressed how amazed they were. "Glad… ya liked… it… Once ya… get used ta it… you'll be able ta do it too… You'll also be able ta better feel tha _'natural'_ energy, an'…"

"We could already feel it," Naruto mentioned.

"In a sense," Yuuki added.

Fukasaku finally sat up, saying, "Then that'll make things a lil' easier… I'll give ya a lil' hint… In order ta get this down, ya must become one with nature…"

Like usual, Gamakichi made an attempt to simplify. "You have to die." The twins didn't think that they had heard him correctly, so he repeated, "You'll die."

"WHAAAAAAAT!" They cried.

"I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die! I don't wan-na _di~e_!" Yuuki whined, clinging to her brother.

"Gamakichi… what's with that idjiotic explanation…!" Fukasaku scolded. He turned to the twins, who seemed to have gotten themselves a bit under control, and said, "Don't worry… Ya won't hafta die. Just listen ta everything I hafta say. I'll start here… In order ta take in Natural energy, ya hafta be able to feel the energy and draw it ta yourselves. Then, once ya get tha hang of it, you'll be able ta control where tha energy enters an' exits your body… So, a concrete example of yer trainin' would be… '_Don't move_'." The two didn't seem to understand. Fukasaku clarified, "You'll first be able ta feel Natural energy when ya stop your flow as an animal an' harmonize with tha flow of nature."

"Oh… That sounds pretty easy," the twins grinned.

"I don't think you're getting it," Gamakichi remarked.

Fukasaku elaborated, "Tha hardest thing fer an animal ta do is remain still. Yer likely no different… Even if ya can, this sort of trainin'll take time. It's more difficult than ya take it fer."

"Is that so?" Yuuki questioned.

Naruto groaned, "We don't have a lot of time…! Isn't there an easier, faster way to do this?"

Fukasaku acknowledged that there was, but, "It might be a bit risky," he forewarned.

Naruto seemed up for it, as well as Yuuki, so they were called over to the waterfall behind them. He asked for Naruto's hand and swirled some of the "toad oil" on it.

He explained, "By rubbing this on ya, it allows tha Natural energy ta enter yer body effortlessly. Then, you'll be able ta feel it better. This will help ya get tha hang of it 'til ya can do it on yer own."

He suddenly stopped speaking just as Naruto began to feel the "Natural" energy wash over him. Other than this, he felt another sensation. It was like his normal transformation, but it felt different.

"Naruto…!" Yuuki gasped.

He looked at her to see that she was a bit shocked and frightened. He then looked into the fountain of oil. He nearly jumped out of his skin at seeing his own reflection…

"What the hell!"

Fukasaku explained, "Those who can't fully control tha _'Natural'_ energy will turn inta frogs themselves."

As more and more of Naruto's features started to resemble that of his amphibian comrades, he and his sister began panicking. To remedy the situation, Fukasaku called forth a small staff. With it, he smacked Naruto upside the head. As he stumbled forward, stopping before the toad oil, he saw his reflection once more. To his surprise, and delight, the transformation had been reversed. Both siblings let out a sigh of relief…

"It's all about balance," Fukasaku said. "_'Spiritual'_, _'physical'_, an' _'natural'_… If ya don't have these energies perfectly balanced, ya can't create _'sage chakra'_. Yer used ta using tha first two fer ninja techniques by balancin' 'em… but it's hard to keep 'em all equal when a third is introduced. If there's too little Natural energy used, ya can't create Sage chakra, but if there's too much… it'll overpower ya and turn ya inta a frog."

"Then… how are we supposed to go about this?" Naruto asked.

"This is what I meant," Gamakichi stated. "I meant that you might have to die as a human."

"Those who become frogs become even more a part of nature," Fukasaku pointed to the stone frogs. "Those stone statues are tha remains of those who failed in tha past." The twins' eyes widened as they laid them on numerous stone statues, but Fukasaku assured, "Don't worry too much about that though… As long as the Natural energy is forced from yer bodies, any transformation will be reversed. My staff an' I will see ta it that'cha aren't stuck with any _'unwanted changes'_…"

"S-… so, there's nothing to worry about…?" Yuuki questioned.

"Not much… In fact, ta tell tha truth, not even Jiraiya-boy could get it down perfect. He'd turn inta a frog a lil' whenever he tried, but he still managed ta complete his trainin'."

This didn't do well in boosting their confidence, but it did strengthen their resolve. "If grandpa can do it… then so can we!"

"That's good spirit!"

Just as he finished, he was shocked by the next act. Naruto, dragging his sister along, dove fully into the toad oil.

_****Sky Village****_

Hinata was sitting in small waiting room. She was anxious as she awaited a response. She twiddled her fingers nervously as she waited and waited. It finally came as her grandmother, Natsuki, entered…

"It's been discussed. If you're serious about this, then, you have my support."

"Thank you, grandmother."

"Let's begin."

Hinata got up and followed her grandmother out of the room…

They headed down a long hallway, and, as they entered a large hall, Hinata's grandfather, Haruto, stated, "Your request has been honored."

The other council members rose as well, saying, "This is now your chance. The sky is the limit, so, if we're going to reach for this _'sky'_, we will need to begin immediately."

Hinata responded, "I'm ready."

_****Myobokuzan****_

Naruto and Yuuki sat as still as they could, meditating. Suddenly, Naruto's face began to swell and take on a familiar shape. Before it could get too far out of hand, he was hit by a stick that he knew all too well.

"OW! That really hurt!" he groaned. He then looked up, saying, "Why isn't Yuuki-?"

Before he could finish, she revealed, "Because, while you may be better at expelling chakra, I'm better at control and usage."

He then watched her for a minute and noticed Yuuki's transformation beginning. She then received similar treatment, with Fukasaku stating, "She's focused more on you than on her trainin'."

Rubbing the back of her neck, Yuuki claimed, "I can't help it… My brother's body is such a distraction. It's so…"

Naruto rolled his eyes as he noticed her begin to drool while eyeing his bare chest. "Let's get back to it." He then suddenly stopped as he thought of something. "I know a better way to do this." Fukasaku questioned this, and Naruto replied, "The _'Shadow Clone'_ technique. It allows us to gain more experience much faster."

"You experience everything yer clones do. So, if one were ta turn inta a frog, that'd be tha end of it." Fukasaku countered. Although he said this, he considered, "No more than two clones each… My staff an' I can't keep up with more than that."

Naruto grinned greatly as he had gotten his way. As this plan was put into action, the twins soon found that it was more difficult, and painful, than originally figured. It wasn't long before several clones had been destroyed and they would have to start over.

Exhausted from the trial and effort, Fukasaku remarked, "This ain't _Whack-A-Mole_! This is supposed ta be trainin'!"

Noticing unusual coloring around one of Naruto's eyes, Fukasaku took his staff and smashed him across the forehead.

To this, Naruto stated, "My face is like this because I was hit, not because I was transforming!" Fukasaku apologized for the misunderstanding. Naruto then went on to say, "This is pretty tough… but I guess that anyone would stick with it if it meant being as strong as that pervy sage."

Fukasaku disagreed, "No… it'd be useless. This ain't just any ordinary trainin' that just _anyone_ could do. This is about yer grandfather and tha two of ya. Ya have enormous amounts of chakra… If it weren't fer that, ya wouldn't be able ta draw on Natural energy. Only those that meet this requirement an' are gutsy an' never give up can become sages. That's how great it is."

Naruto smiled at him before tackling Yuuki into the fountain of oil. She exploded out of it, "Naruto…! I'm gonna have your tail for this!"

She saw that her brother was already in place. Climbing out and taking her place beside him, she opted, "I'll do it later. Better yet… I'll beat you at this. That'll show ya."

_****Sky Village** **_

Hinata was on her knees. She was exhausted, but she tried to keep from hunching over and showing other signs of this. She tried to stand to her feet but immediately collapsed back to her knees.

Seeing this, her grandparents seriously looked down on her, asking, "Is that all you can manage?"

Between breaths, Hinata responded, "No… I… want to continue."

Unconsciously, Natsuki's expression softened as she questioned, "Are you certain you want to continue? What you're trying to accomplish can't be rushed and forced if you want to be able to perform it properly."

"I know, but… I have to do this. I won't give up!" Hinata resolved.

Seeing the determined look in their precious granddaughter's eyes, the two elder deepened their resolve as well…

"If that's how you feel, then… let's continue. We won't skimp out on ensuring that your body knows this training well."

_****Myobokuzan****_

It had taken hours, and the day was nearly over, but Fukasaku watched carefully as the twins actually sat still and focused on the task at hand. For hours, there had been no bickering or comedic antics from either. It was truly remarkable. Suddenly, their eyes shot open, resembling his own.

With the proof before him, jumping around and arguing, _once more_, over who reached this level first, Fukasaku thought to himself, _"Looks like they've managed ta do pretty well… an' so quickly at that. It seems they've got talent fer this."_

Interrupting their competition, Fukasaku suggested that they call it a day. After the dinner and breakfast of their nightmares, the twins were to return to their training. This time, Fukasaku would have them attempt to lift one of the stone frogs. To get a better feel for their progress, he wanted them each to lift a frog individually. The two headed over to the fountain, Yuuki dipped her hand in and Naruto dipped one of his tails. The two then began gathering Natural energy.

Once done, both had tell-tell signs of properly taking Natural energy and becoming true sages. As if these markings weren't enough, the showcase of strength was the nail in the coffin.

"_They're getting tha hang of it quicker than Jiraiya did. Unfortunately… they're just as foolish as he was as well,"_ Fukasaku thought as he watched Naruto playing with one of the stone frogs and Yuuki accidentally crashing into him and sending the rest of the statues into a domino-like falling effect.

Getting the twins' attention, after they straightened the statues, Fukasaku stated, "It looks like ya've mastered using tha oil. Now… let's move onta mastery without that handicap."

"Ready to go!" the twins leapt up, excited.

"Well of course… Ninja techniques exhaust ya tha more ya use 'em since it's the energy of your body… but Sage techniques take in Natural energy from outside. So, rather than becoming exhausted, ya actually recover more quickly."

The two nodded. Naruto then quietly said, _"_Maybe I can do it now._"_

"Do what?" Yuuki asked.

"N-nothing…!" Naruto denied, nervously rubbing the back of his head.

Fukasaku called their attention once more. He pulled a book from under his cloak, saying, "I wanted ta give ya this while ya were here."

"A book?"

"It's tha first story Jiraiya wrote. His heart is in this book… Read it an' you'll understand."

They jumped down and took the book from Fukasaku. Reading the cover of the book, the twins gathered, "_'The Legend… of the Gutsy Ninja'_…?"

_****Sky Village****_

Hinata lay in her bed. She was exhausted after what she had just been through, not only the night before but this day as well. As she looked up at the ceiling, she began to feel drowsy. A sensation also began to overtake her…

_A village could be seen. After a moment, it could be identified as the Hidden Leaf Village, but… it was in such bad shape. Explosions could be heard in the distance, and flames danced about on the rubble of the buildings that once stood tall. There were also bodies littered everywhere, corpses. Suddenly, an even larger than those before resounded as a massive shockwave destroyed what was left. When it was done, there was nothing that stood high. Even the crater caused by the shockwave was crumbling into itself. It was as if the entire village was being swallowed. As everything fell into the dark abyss below, an image became clear. In the darkness, the only thing that could be seen was a defeated and unconscious Naruto being carted off by red clouds. It could then be seen that Naruto was being tortured as his life was being drained, ripped away, from him. The last thing seen was Naruto's lifeless body being further enveloped by the ever-growing darkness until there was nothing else…_

Hinata inhaled deeply as she returned. Her eyes, one red one black, returned to normal as she sat up. Remembering bits and pieces of her vision, Hinata got out of bed and began packing her things.

Hearing the commotion, one of her Hyuuga bodyguards entered, asking, "Lady Hinata…! What's wrong?"

Gathering her things, she answered, "Koh…! We're returning to the village!"

"So soon…? But I thought…"

She rushed right by him. Realizing that there would be no discussing this matter, at this time, he immediately gathered the others and followed her.

_****Leaf Village** **_

While the Uzumaki twins were away, the village seemed to be much quieter than usual. It wasn't that it was quieter necessarily because they were someplace else in the world, although it made sense. In all actuality, the limited noise was caused by intense concentration on the part of those trying to crack the secret of the Akatsuki leader, Pein.

Shikamaru spent a great deal of time with the Code-breakers, to Shiho's delight. While Shizune and her team analyzed the remains of the Pein corpse Jiraiya had brought, Sakura was at the beck and call of the Lady Hokage herself, with the Dragon sisters helping however they could.

Those that weren't involved in any of this simply went about their usual routines. Many shinobi of the village continued to carry out their missions. One such group was Team Gai.

As they were departing the village, Tenten stated, "Aw man… It sucks not being needed for the important stuff."

In his usual enthusiastic manner, Lee responded, "Tenten… that is no way to look at it. Everything done for the village, no matter how big or small, is important! Have you forgotten?"

Obviously annoyed, Tenten replied, "Fine… fine… I understand. Everyone has a role to play."

With just as much enthusiasm as his former student, Gai said, "That's right, you two! When it all comes down to it, every decision and every action comes into play when everything's on the line. You can only have faith in yourself and believe that you're making the best one."

Neji responded, "That may be, but… I can't help but feel that it would be better if we were to remain here. Seeing as we have to complete this mission, I say that we finish it as quickly as possible and return."

The rest agreed. Unfortunately, this inspired Lee to suggest, "Then let us hurry as swiftly as the wind! Let's run with everything we have so that we get there and back before we've left!"

"Right, Lee!"

Just as Tenten was beginning her comment, "Is that even possible?" the two had already began leaving a trail of dust and dirt. Tenten and Neji were left with their eyebrows twitching at the sight and nearly, literally, eating their dust.

_****Akatsuki Base****_

Akatsuki, what was left of them, and their new members, Team Hawk, had met up, to their dismay.

As he surveyed the room, Kisame thought, _"Itachi is out… and his little brother is in… What an interesting turn of events." _

"Tch!" Suigetsu expressed, obviously upset by the presence of Kisame.

Catching this, Kisame asked, "What's your problem?"

Suigetsu suddenly leapt up onto the table and lunged at Kisame. He quickly removed his blade but was surprised to see Madara step in-place and block his attack with nothing more than his own arm. Kisame smirked, showing off his sharp teeth. Suigetsu was visually ticked at this as well…

"Sasuke… they should be better trained than this," Madara stated. "Call him off."

Sasuke did as he requested by criticizing how Suigetsu couldn't beat Kisame at his current level anyway, but encouraged him to "go for it" if he chose to. Madara mentioned that both groups were short on manpower and suggested that they cooperate, offering them the power of a tailed-beast as an incentive.

Once Suigetsu backed-off, Sasuke went on to say, "_We_ will destroy the Hidden Leaf." As to be expected, Madara questioned this, and he responded, "Our target is the elders… The others aren't important… but they'll receive the same fate if they get in my way."

"You're going to have a tough time trying to pull this off. It would take a great amount of power and skill to crush one of the great hidden villages."

Seven forms were slowly making their way through the forest. All was quiet as they proceeded. Not even the insects made a sound. In the eerie silence and infinite shadows of the forest, the sight of red and shocking orange could be seen.

As they continued their trek to their destination, Pein thought, _"Soon… we will be face-to-face… my younger siblings…"_

_

* * *

_

**End of chapter…**

As doom creeps towards the Hidden Leaf Village, in multiple forms, it prepares itself for the worst, even those that are away…

**Next chapter: **The Tale…


	26. Tales of a Beast

"Normal speech"

"_Thought"_

"**Kyuubi/Other voices"**

**A/N:**

Disclaimer 

I do not own Naruto… This is merely for my, and hopefully everyone else's, enjoyment. Thank you!

* * *

**Recap:**

The ball is in Akatsuki's court with the capture of the Eight-tailed host, by Sasuke. Their focus now shifts to the Leaf Village. Will they be prepared for what's to come?

* * *

**Tales of a Beast **

The Uzumaki twins were given a break from training. With this chance, they, somehow, managed to remain quiet for the entire period, to Fukasaku's surprise. What kept them quiet and behaved, for a change, was Jiraiya's book that they had received from Fukasaku…

As they read the book, from beginning to end, each could see Naruto in the main character's place, mainly because of the character's name, but it still made things easier. It was Naruto who faced the protagonist's adversities. It was Naruto who fought the protagonist's battles. It was Naruto who refused to give up.

By the end of it, both were practically in tears. It was a great book that trudged up both great and bad memories. They began to think back…

_Flashback… _

After another annoying day of promised training gone to waste, thanks to Jiraiya's _"research"_, the small family sat near a campfire deep within the woods.

As they awaited the proper cooking of their meal to be done, Naruto, with an irritated look on his face, stared intensely at his master for a moment before finally saying, "WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH YOU, OLD MAN! YOU PROMISED ME THAT WE'D SPEND THE DAY TRAINING… _BUT_… THE MOMENT WE STUMBLED ONTO SOME WOMEN, YOU ABANDON EVERYTHING TO PEEK ON THEM… YOU _GIANT PERVERT_!"

"Now you fully understand what I've had to deal with," Yuuki stated.

"Shhh…! Keep your voice down, you knucklehead," Jiraiya quieted. "About that… I just couldn't help it. When inspiration strikes, the best thing to do is grab your pen and take _pleasure_ in your work." Naruto and Yuuki furrowed their eyebrows. They then began to twitch as Jiraiya added, "_Especially_… when the _'inspiration'_ was as _'new'_ and _'well-rounded'_ and _'developed' _as those," holding his hands out in front of his chest, squeezing the air.

Naruto's face twitched as he said, "Y-… you like 'em like that, huh…?" Letting out a sigh, he said, "I feel sorry for the girls you've peeked on so far, pervy-sage."

Jiraiya leapt to his feet and expressed, "It was research! _Research_…!" He added, "Besides, it wasn't like I just peeked-… uh, er-… used every single young lady that I came across for _research_. Not even back in the village. Although I won't ignore them, I don't really have much interest in inspiration that isn't well developed… like Shizune."

Jiraiya nearly bit his tongue as he was surprised by a sudden kick to his back…

Keeping up the pressure with her foot firmly in place, Yuuki corrected, "You don't say such a thing about a woman! You say she's _'pleasantly' _or _'__perfectly petite'_!" she expressed, clenching her fist and teeth. "GOT IT...!" she roared.

Nervously, Jiraiya chuckled, "Ye-yeah… I'll… remember that from now on." Holding his expression, he thought, _"Little girls undergoing puberty is a scary thing."_

Yuuki then came back with, "Just what do _you_ know about a woman's body, anyway?"

As she removed her foot from his back, Jiraiya remained quiet and looked at her, blinking simplistically at her question.

While these two were having their little "moment", Naruto was cooking up something. He removed his hand from his chin and stood up, calling attention to himself...

With a mischievous smile, he exclaimed, "Sexy Jutsu!"

Jiraiya's eyes bugged-out, and his jaw dropped. He always loved it when his grandson pulled this card. He would even ignore him purposely sometimes just to get this course of action underway, but, this time, it seemed more appealing. Before him laid a sinfully alluring she-devil. As _"she"_ cutely pouted, she twirled _"her"_ thin tail around a single finger, and, teasingly, tugged at _"her"_ skimpy little black attire.

Jiraiya began salivating as _she_ sweetly said, "You'll… give me what I want… right?"

As a miniature waterfall flowed from his mouth, dousing the campfire, Jiraiya nodded in agreement. He began to slowly approach the young devil, causing _her_ to become a little worried. This was supported due to a gleam in his eyes…

He proclaimed, "THIS IS IT! THIS IS JUST PERFECT!" The sudden outburst startled Naruto. _She_ tried to slip away but stopped once Jiraiya claimed, "Just what I've been searching for…! A she-devil that toys with the heart of men!"

Naruto was a bit relieved when he began writing notes. _She_ was then approached by Yuuki who matched _her_ long twin ponytails with her own.

Embracing _her_, Yuuki expressed, "We're a couple of cute sisters, aren't we...?"

Jiraiya's eyes sparkled as he stated, "Twins are even better!" coming to a realization, he then said, "Yeah… I'll stick with the idea of _identical_ twins…"

Yuuki looked confused. She wondered just what her grandfather was getting at. She then looked _up_ into Naruto's blue eyes. That's when she finally noticed what her grandfather was referring to. Although the two looked similar, other than the red hair, in this form, Naruto was taller, much more mature-looking and developed than she was. Remembering her grandfather's stingy remark, her single golden eye began twitching. She only stopped because something came to her as well…

"TRANSFORM!"

This caught Jiraiya's attention, but he regretted looking. Once the smoke cleared, he got an eyeful of a wrinkly old lady...

"Ugh!" Jiraiya cringed.

This was just the reaction Yuuki wanted. She then began to shift and pose to maximize her many flaps and folds. With the look of horror on her grandfather's face, she decided to turn it up a notch...

Her poses began to take a more provocative turn. She winked at him, saying, "Sexy Jutsu: Forever Maiden's Love!"

A step in Jiraiya's direction sent him scratching and clawing his way further into the woods. Transforming back, Yuuki giggled mischievously at her results. She then turned to Naruto.

With another mischievous look in her eyes, she suggested, "So, big _sister_… how about we bathe before we eat dinner…?"

"But I already…"

"There's nothing wrong with it."

"No… there definitely is," Naruto monotonously denied.

_Days later…_

Naruto was soundly asleep when, suddenly…

"Wake up! Wake up, Naruto!"

Slowly, Naruto opened up his eyes, and, groggily, he sat up. Still hearing someone telling him to get up, he turned his head in their direction. Once his vision cleared, he saw Jiraiya before him, excited about something.

"_He must've found some more girls to peep on,"_ Naruto figured.

Shaking his grandson awake, Jiraiya told him, "Since I've finished with my work for now, we're gonna really go all out today in your training!"

This snapped Naruto out of it. He responded, "Really! We're gonna actually train today…!"

He hopped up and quickly got dressed. It could easily be seen that he was excited about the news, especially when he ended up with his outfit on backwards.

Calmed down, momentarily, Naruto began straightening himself up, asking, "So… what kind of training will it be today? It won't be something lame like that genjutsu training, will it?"

Jiraiya replied, "There's nothing _lame_ about learning the basics when they can be helpful… even if they're the easiest and most simplistic methods." He then said, "Today… we'll be working on mastering the Nine-tails's chakra. Let's see how many tails we can get up to," he grinned.

This would turn out to be a grave error on Jiraiya's account. This day, the Nine-tails would have its way with the small family unit. The toll of the event left the twins unconscious and Jiraiya severely wounded...

Naruto woke up in a hospital bed. He looked around and realized just where he was shortly before finding his sister in the bed next to him. In pain, Naruto forced himself out of bed to see if she was there for anything serious. Just as he reached her bed, the nurse entered…

"What are you doing out of bed?" she questioned. "Are you feeling better?"

Naruto asked, "What… what are we doing here? How did we get here?"

The nurse answered, "You two had some pretty serious injuries and burns when you were brought in."

Naruto then asked, "There was supposed to be a guy with us… big guy, gray hair, a tail… Where is he?"

"Calm down…! I think… Yeah… There was a guy fitting that description with you guys."

"Where is he?" Naruto frantically asked.

The nurse placed her hands on Naruto's shoulders, hoping that it would help him to calm down. "The man you described brought you here. He was in pretty bad shape himself…"

"Is he alright?"

"He's in the next room."

Naruto slipped from the nurse's clutches and ran out the door with her screaming for him to come back and get back into bed. Naruto ignored this and entered the room next to his.

As he entered, he frantically cried, "Grandpa…! Grandpa…! Grandpa…!"

He then stopped as he looked to the elders in the room. Naruto had a clueless look on his face as one stated, "I'm not your grandpa!"

The other said, "Am I your grandpa? I don't remember."

The nurse then came in saying, "The man you're looking for is on the other side."

She then, calmly, led him to the room and the confusion was wiped away. It was clear that everything was fine as, as soon as he saw the nurse, Jiraiya asked, "Is it time for my sponge-bath?" nearly drooling.

"_Yeah, he's just fine,"_ Naruto thought.

He watched as the nurse, smiling approached his grandfather's bed. Jiraiya's tail began wagging. Its motion increased as he fought through the pain of his injuries.

The nurse then commented, "Oh… You can happily wag your tail at such a thought after all the pain you've been through. Aren't you a trooper…?"

She then suddenly grabbed him by the tail and, as if she was actually wringing his neck, squeezed his tail until all of that _"energy"_ disappeared. She left the two alone as she had _"properly taken care of her patient"_.

A few minutes later, Jiraiya began moving once again, slurping up his drool. Naruto immediately asked what had happened to land them in the hospital. He couldn't remember even the slightest detail.

Jiraiya simply explained, "Things didn't go as well as planned." Seeing that Naruto still had a questioning look on his face, he elaborated, "We were training on your mastery of the Demon Fox's chakra… but things quickly went awry. I only opened your seal a crack when the Demon Fox's chakra took control. You grew a fourth tail and all hell broke loose. Poor little Yuu was in the same boat after that, and the two of you began fighting it out. The rest happened so fast. When I finally managed to get control of the situation, I had been seriously injured, but you two were my main priority."

On the verge of tears, Naruto said, "Grandpa… I-… I'm sorry. I was too weak and failed at-,"

Jiraiya cut him off there. "You aren't weak. The fox was just too much for you to handle this time. Sometimes, you face an opponent and the odds are stacked against you. It happens, so you just have to suck it up and find a way to win. In order to do that, you have to fight until the end. Hopefully… no... I know that you'll find a way to come out on top."

Jiraiya's words were encouraging. So much so that Naruto's sorrowful expression had gone and a smile began to replace it. He then got up to leave and get some rest as Jiraiya had requested. He was calling the nurse for a sponge-bath. Naruto wasted no time in getting out of there.

He headed back to his and Yuuki's room, passing the nurse. As he was about to enter, he heard his grandfather let out a weak scream. This got him thinking…

"_I have to find out…!"_

Naruto quietly entered his room, trying to avoid waking the sleeping Yuuki. He grabbed his things and snuck to the roof. From there, he escaped the hospital, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.

A figure on the distant rooftop noticed this. As his black and red cloak fluttered in the wind, he stated, "Target sighted…"

For a moment, he stood in place, watching Naruto advance further away. Then, he began trailing the young lad. Naruto, through the occasional sharp pain, continued until he had arrived back at the site he, his sister, and his grandfather had camped out in. He then proceeded further into the woods and into a rough terrain. Because of all the devastation and scattered debris of smashed rocks and broken trees, it was even more rough-looking than it was originally.

He walked through it, stepping over this and leaping over that. To himself, he thought, _"I did... all of this…?"_

His stalker watched as he took in all the destruction caused initially by him. He then heard Naruto shout, "DAMN YOU, YOU STUPID FOX!" as did the entire mountainous-woodland area.

Naruto gritted his teeth and declared that he wasn't going to lose to a thing that could use him to cause such chaos the way it had. It had even landed his family in the hospital. He had to get stronger. If not for his sake, then for those that could potentially be hurt by him in such a state.

Naruto found an area, a crater in the earth, and began his training, using it as a means to fuel his urge to win against his foe. As a warm-up, he did push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, and squats and moved on to trying to push an oddly shaped boulder back to the top of the crater. He wouldn't give up no matter how tired he was because, in his mind, if he couldn't manage his new training regimen, then there was no way that he could win against his beastly rival.

Once he finally succeeded in making it to the top of the crater, he was to begin the next part of his training. He would take the oddly shaped boulder and push it to the edge of the forest and back, mainly using his arms one way and his legs the other.

He pushed and pushed and, even though he was already feeling exhausted, pushed some more. Because of his determination, he managed to go there and back, but ultimately failed in returning the boulder to the edge of the crater as he was discouraged from suddenly smacking his head against it as it was in sight.

Exhausted, and with a throbbing headache, Naruto took a moment to lie down and rest. Shortly after, he began to notice that his eyes were becoming harder to reopen. He tried to resist, but, after the exercises and pushing the large and oddly shaped boulder across the vast forest, Naruto's drowsiness was getting the better of him. Desperate, he tried one last time to shake it off and get back to his training. He sprang to his feet… only to flop on his face, and he was out like a light.

Seeing this unfold, Naruto's mystery stalker said to himself, "_This seems to be a golden opportunity._"

As Naruto slumbered, a short amount of time passed before a large shadow was cast over him. It seemed to be inspecting his sleeping form. It slowly approached, but, with the sudden ferocious growling of his stomach and sudden movement of his body, the shadow backed-off. Another rumbling growl from his stomach awoke him from his slumber. He wiped the sleep from his eyes but was shocked at what he saw before him. Unsure whether or not it was a dream, Naruto wiped his eyes and gave his vision a moment to adjust. He was then startled to find that he wasn't dreaming…

"What are…? What's a…? What were you doing just now?" Naruto groggily asked. With no reply other than growling, Naruto went on, "Don't think that things will just be that easy… I don't have any thing to give a big bear like you."

The bear, still rather young as far as Naruto could tell, sat down and raised its front paws, waving them as if it was asking Naruto for something. Irritated that it wouldn't give up so easily, Naruto reached into a compartment on the side of his backpack. He pulled out a bag of trail mix. He poured some into his hand and offered it to the bear. It gladly accepted it. Before he realized it, Naruto had run out.

Hearing the bear let out a low growl, one that was overshadowed by the one from Naruto's own belly, he said, "I know you're still hungry… so am I… but I don't have anything else on me."

The bear got extremely close and began rubbing its head against Naruto's. It was practically in his lap as it tried to show affection to him, and get more food while it was at it. As it began to lick him, Naruto began to wonder if it was tasting him or entertaining the thought of finishing its meal with him as the main course. With these circumstances, he decided to take a break from his training while he got himself, and his new acquaintance, something to eat.

They proceeded to the river. Here, they caught several fish. Naruto gave the bear a good amount but was sure to leave it extra so that it wouldn't bother him once he resumed his training. As the bear ate its share, Naruto took his and returned to the training site to finally cease the incessant whining of his own beast of a belly. He cooked and ate a lot of his share but saved some for another time. For now, it was time to get back to training…

Next on his agenda would be ninjutsu. If he was going to control the Nine-tails, a creature said to be made of chakra, he would have to train to properly use his own. He was a bit hesitant however. If he used up too much of his own, there was a chance that the Nine-tails would take over with its own chakra. If that were to happen, then it would be the same all over again, but, this time, there was no one around to stop his rampage. Naruto thought about it carefully…

Resolving the matter, at least this early in his training, Naruto sucked it up and leapt into the crater. He wanted to practice various moves that consumed much of his chakra supply. His Shadow Clone, Rasengan, and Dragon Wave were the first things to come to mind. He figured that this training wouldn't only help him with chakra management but also coming up with various methods to utilize to ensure his attacks would hit.

While down in the crater, he pretended that he was locked in a cage with an opponent, created by himself, and that they would have to fight it out until neither could continue. For the first few rounds, he would be using mainly the Rasengan and the Dragon Wave in the following rounds while his clone could fight with whatever was in his arsenal of attacks.

It was tough only being able to use a close-range attack that your opponent knew would be coming, not to mention that he would do everything in his power to keep you at bay. The first was certainly one of the toughest. The distance between them was constantly being reinforced by several barrages of Dragon Wave attacks. It was all Naruto could do to avoid being defeated by his own clone.

Naruto tried his usual method. He created a clone to help produce the Rasengan and used it as a decoy, but, being him as well, the clone already knew this play. He fired directly at the original who, in turn, tried to use the Rasengan to block but was still blown away from the explosion caused by the colliding attacks. Naruto crashed into the wall of the crater but refused to throw in the towel just yet. He was determined not to lose this round and tried again. He created a clone and formed the Rasengan. He tried to maintain it while dodging the opponent's attack while trying to get close enough to use it. He tried to use the Shadow Star along with it, but trying to utilize both techniques at once didn't pan out. Trying to focus on one lost him the use of the other until he had completely lost his offensive attack. Shocked that this had happened, he was a sitting duck for the next attack. He couldn't get out of its way fast enough. He was blown away. The clone's attack had hit, and there was no sign that Naruto was going to be coming at him again, but the clone hadn't disappeared. He realized this too late, just as the last of the effects of the explosive attack had faded, the clone heard a single step accompanied by the usual sound of…

"RASENGAN!"

In one moment, the clone was picked up off the ground and spun through the air by the powerful attack. It was fully destroyed before it had even hit the wall. Naruto hunched over once the clone was gone. It was some kind of ordeal just to get rid of a single Shadow Clone. He sucked it up and created another for the next round. This time the clone wouldn't give him any time to finish forming the Rasengan, so he had to get creative. He created multiple Shadow Clones, making several pairs that would begin forming the Rasengan. Not one to be defeated by something like this, the clone created several clones itself. With them, it launched into the Dragon's Wrath attack. As the attack ripped through much of Naruto's forces, the crater's size was exponentially increased. They waited for Naruto to show himself, arming another wave of attacks. He exploded from the dust cloud, attacking with a Rasengan through the air. On cue, the small army of clones fired and blew Naruto back. As expected, this was just a diversion. Naruto came running through the smoke this time. He had an opening and was taking it… or so he thought…

Through the frontline of clones, another wave of attacks commenced. Naruto, and his accompanying clone, was surprised to see this. As the front line eroded, the original and his escort banded together. Adding more chakra to their attack, the size of the Rasengan increased. Its sheer size managed to save Naruto from a direct hit but the collision of the attacks just resulted in another explosion. This time, however, Naruto was close enough that several of the clones were caught up in the blast as well. The last remaining clone stumbled forward. As he was approaching the downed original, he tripped over himself and dispersed in a small cloud of smoke. Naruto had just barely made it through this round victorious. He forced himself from his cozy body imprint in the wall of the crater. He wanted to begin the next phase in his training but was unsure on his feet as well. He stumbled forward until he could no longer stand and fell face down in the crater.

After a few minutes of getting a good amount of nutrients from the earth, Naruto, somehow, willed himself back to his feet. He was still unsteady but still much more sure-footed than before. This time, he would be the one to try and neutralize an attacking threat with his Dragon Wave. Honestly, he was simply too tired to actually move around.

He created some clones but had them draw a line a few feet away from him. They were to start at one end of the crater and try to make it past this line in order to win. It was simple but perfect for the situation. Naruto was so exhausted that a feather would possibly be able to tip him over. The event commenced and Naruto lost several times because he couldn't manage to eliminate all the clones before they made it to the line, but he wouldn't give up so easily. He kept at it, building his response time and accuracy, until he _finally_ won this round. He only had a little more chakra left, so, to protect him from harm, his own body shut down to keep him from overexerting himself and fully depleting his supply. He remained here all night.

The next morning, Naruto awoke, not even realizing that he had slept through the night. He was certainly glad that he had however. He awoke refreshed and feeling a little better and stronger than the day before. The pain that came from good training was a pleasure to have after taking it easy for long enough, in Naruto's opinion.

For breakfast, Naruto ate more of the fish he had caught. Then, it was back to training. He began with the warm-up routine he had started the day before. After doing better than the day before, if only just a few feet better, Naruto came up with the day's training procedure. His grandfather had been trying to teach him more about the Dragon warrior way and style of fighting. Naruto decided to do this as his taijutsu training for the day.

He went over this and over it for hours. Once he took a break for lunch, he put it behind him to work on for another day, maybe the next. For now, he would move on to improving his ninjutsu techniques, but he wasn't sure which one exactly.

He thought, _"I don't think that there's any way that I can improve on the Shadow Clone jutsu. About the only way I can improve on it any more would be to realize the limits on the number of clones I can create at one time or during battle… but that seems like it might be a waste of time since I've got the Nine-tails. There's the Rasengan. Grandpa already told me that I could make it better by pumping more chakra into it, and I'm already getting the hang of it. There's also the Dragon Wave. As of yesterday, I've managed to increase the speed and power of the attack, but… I guess that I could try and find some way to make it both faster and stronger at the same time…" _

He pondered on this for a moment. A bird then caught his eye. He watched as it flew behind a tree and then, seemingly, reappeared on the other side. This gave Naruto his answer…

The day went about. The people of the village went about their ways as usual. The village seemed fairly busy but the lively crowds began to slowly dwindle as night crept up. Back at the hospital, a dark figure loomed over the hospital bed in Yuuki's room. It then began shuffling closer to the bed, quiet not to wake the sleeping girl. The figure then began to reach out to the bed before it, being careful not to cause any unnecessary commotion. All the while, Yuuki slept quietly and unsuspectingly…

As the figure's arms outstretched to the bed, a voice stated, "So, you've finally gone and done it…?" The figure looked to Yuuki as she continued, "You just showed up out of nowhere. I wasn't expecting it… So, how did you manage it?"

Overly exhausted, the figure managed, "Well… after you end up taking a few unwanted swims, ending up inside a few hollow trees a few times, and a few… _places that would haunt your nightmares for the rest of your life_ you tend to have to get the hang of something like that for fear of your life," he cringed.

The shadowed figure then collapsed onto the bed. As it began snoring, loudly, Yuuki said, "Good night… big brother."

At the outskirts of the village, a cloaked figure could barely be seen standing atop a building. Blending well into the dark sky, he said, seemingly to himself, "Is it really okay not to try and capture them, Lord Pein? They seem to be in pretty bad shape. It would be effortless to-," he stopped as he received his orders. "I understand. I won't act unless ordered to."

The very next morning, Yuuki woke to find that her brother was heading out once again after cleaning himself up. She looked to her leg, elevated in a sling, and said, to herself, "_It sucks that my leg is still in this condition. How long does it take to heal a broken leg anyway…?"_ she remarked, rubbing her cast.

She looked up to find that he had disappeared. Out the window, she could see him leaping away across the rooftops. She was visibly upset about her situation, but there was nothing she could do.

Naruto returned to the site of his training. After the previous day, he wasn't so sure if he should really try to fully master such a technique, at least in an unfamiliar area such as the one he was currently in. Instead, he opted for other training ideas. He reached into his bag and pulled a scroll…

He said to himself, "_I wonder if I can really push these abilities any further… I wonder if I can actually handle anything more that I could gain… I guess… there's only one way to find out…"_

Late in the day, Jiraiya found Naruto training hard to the point he collapsed and couldn't get back up, but he wouldn't let that stop him. Seeing his grandson strain himself, Jiraiya asked, "Why are you pushing yourself so hard so soon after you were injured?"

Still not giving up on getting back to his feet, Naruto replied, "For many reasons… I… I… I have to get stronger."

"Is one of those reasons Sasuke?"

Naruto had a stern look on his face as he said, "I can't just give up on Sasuke and my promise so easily! He said that he was gonna break his ties with me in order to get stronger… well… I'll just have to get even stronger than that and show him that that isn't the way!" He then heard Jiraiya let out a rough sigh. He went on to say, "Can't you understand how I feel? You used to be friends with Orochimaru, but the same thing happened to you."

"You have a point there," Jiraiya agreed. "But it isn't quite the same. Orochimaru wanted to destroy the village. I'm not sure why, but I think that it had something to do with his parents' deaths. After that, he began acting strangely and shortly became obsessed with Forbidden techniques afterwards. From that point on, I think that he either wanted to somehow revive his parents and see them again, or he wanted to take it out on the village for allowing them to be killed. I tried to be there for him, like you have for Sasuke, but he told me that I didn't understand… He was probably right. I didn't. My parents hadn't been killed."

"Even so, Sasuke isn't anything like Orochimaru… not yet," Naruto expressed. "I won't allow him to end up that way!"

"True… there may still be hope for him, but… hatred is spreading. If something isn't done, then Sasuke may not be the only one in serious trouble… I've tried my best, but I don't know what to do." He looked Naruto in the eyes and, with a smile, said, "But I believe that, _someday_, the day will come when people truly understand one another and end the _'chain of hatred'_." He then smiled even bigger as he said, "If I can't find the answer, do you think that you could pick up where I left off?"

Naruto took a second to think. He then replied, "It sounds hard… but… if that's what you want me to do, I won't refuse!"

Both began smiling at each other. Jiraiya then said, "I feel like your smile is my salvation. I'm glad I found you again. I'm proud of you and your sister, and I want the two of you to continue to grow into fine young people."

"Sure thing, gramps! When you're gone, we'll continue on and fulfill your request!"

Jiraiya chuckled but forced the smile from his face as he stated, "I haven't given up yet! While I'm at it, I'll change the world my books!"

Naruto's eye twitched as he said, "Su-sure… That'll happen…"

Jiraiya chuckled a little more before adding, "Also, while I'm at it… I'll oversee your training and ensure that you become stronger and stronger. How's that sound?"

Naruto's smile broadened as he proudly nodded in agreement...

* * *

**End of chapter… **

Reading their grandfather's tale, the Uzumaki twins find themselves reminiscing of their times together…

What more is there to their story?

Next chapter: Tales held high...


End file.
